BLIA North Carolina Chapter Promotes CPR Training to Help Save Lives

Participants practice CPR techniques hands-on during the training, learning the proper procedures for providing emergency assistance. (Photo by Song Danqi)

[Reported by Renren, North Carolina, USA] — To promote awareness of heart health and emergency response skills while strengthening the community’s ability to respond to medical emergencies, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) North Carolina First Subchapter hosted a hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training session, “Learn First Aid, Save a Life,” on September 12, 2026, at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina.

The training featured Kat Combs, Vice President of Community Impact for the American Heart Association (AHA) Triangle and Eastern North Carolina, and Liliana Marin, Director of Community Impact for the Durham area. More than 50 community members participated in the session, which included Chinese-language subtitles to support Chinese-speaking participants.

Due to the large number of participants, the training was conducted in small groups in the classroom, allowing participants to practice CPR techniques hands-on. (Photo by Jasmine Lang)

Combining professional instruction with hands-on practice, the instructors demonstrated standard CPR procedures, emergency response steps, and key techniques for responding to cardiac arrest, sudden collapse, and other common emergency situations. Participants practiced the procedures themselves, gaining familiarity with proper rescue techniques and greater confidence in responding to emergencies.

Group photo featuring BLIA North Carolina Chapter President Gee Chia (far right), Vice President Zhang Yin (far left), AHA Triangle and Eastern North Carolina Vice President of Community Impact Kat Combs (second from left), and AHA Durham Community Impact Director Liliana Marin (second from right). (Photo by Song Danqi)

The event also represented an important community service and health education initiative by the BLIA North Carolina First Subchapter. By promoting lifesaving skills, the program brought the Humanistic Buddhism values of compassion and benefiting others, as well as the “Three Acts of Goodness”—do good deeds, speak good words, and think good thoughts—into everyday life, demonstrating practical care for the safety and well-being of the community.

Kat Combs praised the participants for their enthusiastic engagement, noting their attentiveness, active participation, and strong commitment to learning. Liliana Marin encouraged participants to share their knowledge of heart health and emergency response with family and friends, helping lifesaving knowledge spread from the classroom into homes and the wider community. She also encouraged everyone to make health management part of their daily lives and to work together to build a safer and more supportive community.

BLIA North Carolina Young Adult Division member Lomen volunteers as a demonstration participant, assisting the instructors with a CPR demonstration. (Photo by Jasmine Lang)

BLIA North Carolina Young Adult Division member Lomen, who volunteered as a demonstration participant, said that unexpected emergencies can happen at any time and that CPR is an essential life skill everyone should learn. He encouraged young people to participate in first-aid training, overcome the fear of making mistakes or hesitating to help, and proactively acquire lifesaving skills so they can demonstrate their sense of responsibility through actions that benefit others.

BLIA North Carolina First Subchapter hosted the “Learn First Aid, Save a Life” hands-on CPR training session on September 12, 2026, at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina. (Photo by Chuchun Chien)

Many participants attended Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple for the first time. Through the CPR training, they also had the opportunity to learn more about Fo Guang Shan and BLIA. (Photo by Song Danqi)

For Prerna Satkir, who attended the event for the first time, the training was an opportunity to challenge her previous assumptions about emergency response. She learned about the program through the temple’s Sunday service and registered on her own. She said her biggest takeaway was the importance of overcoming hesitation: in an emergency, the most important thing is to have the courage to act and make use of the critical window of time available to save a life.

BLIA North Carolina Chapter President Gee Chia concluded that learning first aid is one practical way of putting compassion and kindness into action. When someone is in need, being prepared and having the courage to offer assistance is one of the most direct and meaningful ways to care for others.