Do you hate the song Baby Shark? It is used to teach rescue

Today, he runs sessions in schools to show children the basics of rescue and how keeping up with the catchy tune when performing chest compressions can dramatically improve a patient’s recovery rate.

The sessions, specially designed to be fun and suitable for ages four to 11, cover the three “golden” rules to follow when someone is unconscious and not breathing – call 999, administer CPR and use a defibrillator if available.

The effectiveness of the first CPR and defibrillators came to public attention when Danish striker Christian Eriksen collapsed in a European Championship game against Finland and was dealt with quickly while ‘he was still on the ground.

It was a scene witnessed by many children watching the game not only in the North East but across the world.

Machines can literally mean the difference between life and death in the vital moments after someone suffers from cardiac arrest, but Red Sky Foundation founder Sergio Petrucci said: “It is highly unlikely that A young child should never use a defibrillator in a living situation. It’s more about teaching them basic skills at a young age and giving them confidence in CPR.

“There is a myth that you can hurt someone by using a defibrillator, but you can’t.

“What you can do is decrease their chance of survival from just 7% to 70%.

“More than anything, the goal is to make the sessions engaging enough so that children understand that lifesaving skills are easy to learn and that they work.”

One of the first schools to invite the Red Sky charity to speak to its students was St Mary’s RC Elementary School in Sunderland, which has a Red Sky Foundation public access wall mounted defibrillator.

Director Martin Clephane said: “The initiative of the Red Sky Foundation to show our children and staff how to use the defib as well as educate them in CPR techniques as part of our First Aid Awareness Day. Rescue was not only fun but potentially life saving as well – and our new device is a great addition to help save the lives of anyone in need in our local community.

Parent Andrea Walls-Liddle said, “I think sessions like this are really important and the Red Sky Foundation has been great in demonstrating practical skills to kids in such an energizing and engaging way.

“My son was eager to tell me what he had learned as soon as I picked him up from school.

According to the Red Sky Foundation, around 5,000 people die each year in the northeast from sudden cardiac arrest, with only one in 10 surviving a hospital arrest, and Sergio is urging schools and local communities to the region to contact find out more about the sessions offered by the association.

To learn more, visit www.redskyfoundation.com