The news headlines blare stories of carnage and mass tragedy, of lives bleeding out and hundreds of innocents declared dead before they can even receive medical attention. This is the reality in which we live, where tragedy is constantly looming over our minds, where we have to prepare for such occurrences in schools and be on guard in public places. While these situations are difficult to think about, there is a way to prevent the spread of loss in the case that tragedy does strike.

    Bishop Kenny anatomy classes have taken on certifying students in “Stop the Bleed,” a National Awareness campaign to prevent excessive blood loss before emergency services can arrive on the scene.

    Students learned how to wrap a tourniquet a couple inches above the site of a wound and stuff the wound with cloth on a dummy. This information has saved lives such as in the Las Vegas shooting in which firefighters were trained and could stop the bleeding before lives were lost. The process is neither easy nor painless, as the pressure is painful for even those who have no injury. And even still, it is difficult to keep a level head when in the midst of chaos: adrenaline heightening, pulse racing, stomach clenching.

    At the end of the day, students had a certification and a deeper understanding for steps to take when injuries arise. A practical use comes in with home injuries, whether it be mishandling a knife or other miscellaneous wounds that could prove dangerous, even deadly.

    Hitting closer to home with the Landing shooting and the more recent UNC shooting, the Stop the Bleed campaign only becomes more vital over time. In the latter case, one person got in the way of the attacker to save life. Yet there are still ways to save lives that do not involve contact with a threat or putting your own life in danger. It is always important to check the surroundings and ensure your own safety first. Anyone has the power to stop the bleed, and it could make a difference when you are holding someone’s life in your hands.