By Toni Lepeska
The Commercial Appeal
DESOTO, Tenn. — As if helping save lives wasn’t enough, Mark Hughes donates a part of his CPR-teaching fees to help provide clean drinking water in other countries.
Yet he doesn’t feel like he is doing anything extraordinary or selfless - “I got a nice house,” he said.
Hughes, 44, of Olive Branch, wants to contribute to his community and, since he has been the recipient of good will, he said he wants to reciprocate.
“Because so many people have helped me along the way, I’m not where I’m at because of my own strength,” Hughes said.
Hughes started his CPR and first-aid training business, Go Life Savers, in 2008 while he was director of volunteer ministries at Great Commission Church.
He started the business to “create additional revenue streams” so he could provide First Relief International with donations.
First Relief provides water filters in countries with disease -laced water. According to First Relief, 1.1 billion people don’t have clean drinking water.
“It was full of bacteria,” he said. “They are drinking water than can cause disease.”
Hughes had already been teaching CPR for years, first at a YMCA in his native Ohio and then at the Olive Branch Y when it first opened in 2005.
“For me it’s the greatest gift that I can give to the community that in turn gets paid forward in a life-saving situation,” Hughes said of teaching first aid and CPR. “It’s working through people.”
Individuals can sign up for classes or businesses can contract Hughes to come to their site to teach employees first aid and CPR, a method to restart a stopped heart. A part of each $50-$75 fee goes to First Relief International.
John Wade Child Care Center, at 6910 Snowden in Southaven, recently hosted one of the first aid and CPR classes.
Wade’s child-care workers learned what to do in a choking situation and how to use chest compressions to resuscitate an infant, child and adult.
“It was great. He did a great job,” said Wade, the owner. “I liked that he was very thorough and he covered a lot of material.”
Hughes got down on his knees on the gymnastics floor to demonstrate technique. He placed his hands on a specially-designed mannequin and breathed into it. Its chest rose and fell. He then coached the eight trainees as they completed 30 chest compressions.
“You guys are doing great,” Hughes said as the trainees pushed on the chests of the mannequins. “You keep doing that until they’re revived or medical help arrives.”
“He’s very helpful. He makes it interesting for you to learn. He gets into his work,” said Nikki Grist, 19, one of the Wade child-care workers.
Hughes’ hopes to make Go Life Savers a full-time endeavor have not become tangible yet but his other hours are also focused on lifesaving. He recently took a full-time position as a personal trainer with Lifetime Fitness, at the Collierville branch.
“That’s preventative health,” Hughes said. “If people take care of themselves, they won’t need life-saving skills.”
For more information, visit golifesavers.com or e-mail hughes at mark@golifesavers.com
Copyright 2011 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.