Md. woman aims to help save lives with CPR parties

POTOMAC, Md. - Have you ever been or even heard of a CPR party? A Maryland mother loves to throw them.

Laura Metro saw a story on FOX 5 last month about a Virginia toddler who drowned in a retention pond and reached out to us to share her mission to help parents save lives.

"When seconds count, the paramedics can't get there on time," said Metro. "It's impossible. There is too much land to cover, so if no one around knows these skills, they are going to die."

These gatherings are fueled by Metro's personal near-tragedy.

"My son Clay almost died by drowning," she said. "He was at the pool with some of our friends and he was walking from one friend to the next to go get a snack. We believe he fell, tripped on his towel, and fell into the deep end."

Metro did not know CPR at the time.

"I couldn't understand as a responsible, safety conscious mom how and why I didn't know CPR," she said.

Clay is nine years old now. He was only three years old when the incident happened at the community pool in his neighborhood. Since then, his mother has hosted these CPR parties in our area and across the country.

"We have had about 150 classes nationwide," said Jeremy Gruber, the founder of Rescue One, a company that partners with Metro to teach the resuscitation technique. "A lot of them here in the Washington area."

For Marianne Beardall, this party was a good refresher. She has four children.

"It's very important that I have the base just in case something happens," she said.

Metro's son was saved thanks to a friend who performed amateur CPR until paramedics arrived.

"That ultimately is their explanation for why he is cognitively okay today," said Metro.

The scare was a wakeup call for Metro who quickly became CPR certified. She created CPR Party in 2012.