JFK HS junior raises money to bring potentially lifesaving kits to every classroom in her school

On Friday, Northwell Health physicians and nurses taught students how to apply tourniquets and pack wounds to stop bleeding.

Jenn Seelig

May 12, 2023, 9:32 PM

Updated 573 days ago

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A junior at John F. Kennedy High School has succeeded in her mission to bring Stop the Bleed kits to every classroom in her school.
Sydney Brewer raised over $3,000 to get the kits to her school.
The 17-year-old says it has been her goal since hearing about a fatal school shooting when she was a young girl.
"I am the same age as the kids in the Sandy Hook shooting," Brewer says. "I remember it very vividly when I was in first grade. I knew I had to do something. Ever since I was little, I knew I had to make people more aware of what goes on."
On Friday, Northwell Health physicians and nurses taught students how to apply tourniquets and pack wounds to stop bleeding.
The lessons come as the rate of gun violence continues to rise across the country. According to Gun Violence Archive, there have already been over 200 mass shootings this year.
"It seems like we turn on our TV and every month we hear about a school shooting, another workplace shooting, and if you get shot, these kits can save your life," says Northwell Health director of trauma Dr. Matthew Bank.
After being trained, students at the school say they feel equipped to help save a life if an emergency situation were to occur at the school.
May marks the fifth annual National Stop the Bleed Month, which highlights the importance of learning the important skill.