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Mission to remember Christina Save-A-Life founder keeps daughter's memory

alive; [LAKE SPORTS FINAL Edition]


Debra A. Schwartz.. Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext). Chicago, Ill.: Mar 8,
1993. pg. 2
Author(s): Debra A. Schwartz.
Column Name: Lake watch. People.
Section: LAKE
Publication title: Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext). Chicago, Ill.: Mar 8,
1993. pg. 2
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN/ISBN: 10856706
ProQuest document ID: 24375960
Text Word Count 739
Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=24375960&Fmt=3&clientId=1
1420&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Abstract (Document Summary)
For most of her adult life, Carol Spizzirri was a far cry from a community organizer.

Last Labor Day, Christina was fatally injured when she lost control of her car and crashed
near Waukegan. Moments later, the first police officers arrived at the scene and were told
by a Good Samaritan that the girl still had a pulse and her vital signs were stable. But the
officers balked at administering CPR because their certifications had expired. By the time
paramedics arrived and began treating her, it was too late.

Spizzirri was on vacation in Florida with her other two daughters when she was notified
of the accident. When she returned, she learned of the police officers' failure to act.
Whether CPR would have saved her daughter, no one knows, Spizzirri acknowledges, but
she would have liked her daughter to have had the chance.

Full Text (739 words)


Copyright Chicago Tribune Co. Mar 8, 1993

For most of her adult life, Carol Spizzirri was a far cry from a community organizer.

She was too busy taking care of her children, running them here, there, wherever. And
when she wasn't focusing on them, she took care of the bills at Woodland School District
50 in Gages Lake, where she is in charge of accounts payable and receivable.

But then her 17-year-old daughter Christina died, perhaps needlessly, and all that
changed.

After grieving for two months, the 45-year-old mother founded Save-A-Life Foundation
Inc. to push for legislation requiring all public servants to be trained in first aid and CPR.
Her mission is to prevent what happened to her daughter from happening to anyone else.

Last Labor Day, Christina was fatally injured when she lost control of her car and crashed
near Waukegan. Moments later, the first police officers arrived at the scene and were told
by a Good Samaritan that the girl still had a pulse and her vital signs were stable. But the
officers balked at administering CPR because their certifications had expired. By the time
paramedics arrived and began treating her, it was too late.

Spizzirri was on vacation in Florida with her other two daughters when she was notified
of the accident. When she returned, she learned of the police officers' failure to act.
Whether CPR would have saved her daughter, no one knows, Spizzirri acknowledges, but
she would have liked her daughter to have had the chance.

Angered and depressed by the loss of her daughter, Spizzirri established Save-A-Life.

To promote her cause, she contacted corporate presidents, leaders in the United Auto
Workers, police and fire chiefs and television stars to get their support for legislation to
make her idea law.

She hopes her legislative campaign will lead to the passage of a state law requiring
anyone who works with the public, including fast-food employees, teachers, bus drivers
and fire and police officials, to have CPR and first-aid training. Annual recertification
also is part of legislation that may be introduced in Springfield this month.

"After her daughter died, she was kind of running around in circles and didn't know what
to do. She has more purpose in life now," said Woody Williams, building and
maintenance director of District 50.

"It's my mission," Spizzirri said in a soft, almost religious tone. "It's like God opened the
doors, and everybody I have contacted has received me well. I think it's because for so
many years, people have been so self-centered, and they are just at a point now where
they want to go back to the basics of caring for one another, and they just need a role
model."

It's the reason the time is ripe for passing the law, she said.

State Rep. Chuck Hartke (D-Effingham), who is co-sponsoring the bill with state Rep.
Andrea Moore (R-Libertyville), said the legislation is past due.

"If we're calling individuals for help, and they arrive, then say `Well, I'm sorry, I don't
know how to administer CPR,' don't you want to say `What did I call you for?' Basic life-
saving techniques should be administered" at car accident scenes, Hartke said.

In the months Spizzirri has spent organizing Save-A-Life, she has received endorsements
from the National Safety Council, American Medical Association, American Red Cross,
several insurance companies and such large corporations as Commonwealth Edison and
Abbott Laboratories.

After she learned that former teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman had organized volunteer
paramedics in Los Angeles, she contacted him to secure his backing. At 48, the Los
Angeles-based actor and singer best known as the puerile performer who reached instant
stardom after appearing on the "Shindig" and "Here Come the Brides" television series, is
negotiating with Los Angeles police to place "Chris Kits" in every one of Los Angeles'
6,000 police cars.

The kits, named after Spizzirri's daughter, are specially equipped with plastic gloves,
shoe coverings and resuscitation masks to allow first responders to treat wounds without
fear of catching HIV, hepatitis B or other communicable diseases.

Spizzirri also is investigating whether a percentage of dollars from vehicle stickers could
help pay for producing Chris Kits and related training.

"I absolutely never organized anything all by myself before," she said, marveling at her
success. "There was no reason for me to, but Christina's death was a negative that I had to
turn into a positive. This is what she would have wanted me to do."

CAPTION:

PHOTO: Carol Spizzirri.


SURF'S UP FOR CPR CRUSADE AS `BAYWATCH' STAR SIGNS ON; [LAKE
SPORTS FINAL Edition 1]
Christi Parsons, Tribune Staff Writer.. Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext). Chicago,
Ill.: Dec 30, 1993. pg. 2
Author(s): Christi Parsons, Tribune Staff Writer.
Column Name: Lake watch. Politics.
Section: LAKE
Publication title: Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext). Chicago, Ill.: Dec 30,
1993. pg. 2
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN/ISBN: 10856706
ProQuest document ID: 24208213
Text Word Count 489
Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=24208213&Fmt=3&clientId=1
1420&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Abstract (Document Summary)
Grayslake activist Carol Spizzirri could be a chapter in a textbook on how to crusade for
a cause.

In her ongoing crusade to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other lifesaving


techniques to residents all over Illinois, Spizzirri has convinced state leaders including
Gov. Jim Edgar and state Senate President James "Pate" Philip to get on board.

Spizzirri managed to snag Hasselhoff by simply calling the producer of his show and
explaining her cause.

Full Text (489 words)


Copyright Chicago Tribune Co. Dec 30, 1993

Grayslake activist Carol Spizzirri could be a chapter in a textbook on how to crusade for
a cause.

In her ongoing crusade to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other lifesaving


techniques to residents all over Illinois, Spizzirri has convinced state leaders including
Gov. Jim Edgar and state Senate President James "Pate" Philip to get on board.

Now she has now picked up another high-profile supporter.

David Hasselhoff, star of the television program "Baywatch," has agreed to be the
honorary chairman of "Save a Life" Day on Feb. 26, when hospitals all over the state will
hold free training programs.

Spizzirri managed to snag Hasselhoff by simply calling the producer of his show and
explaining her cause.

Not only will he lend his name to the cause, but he also has agreed to record a public
service announcement encouraging people to sign up for the classes.

"They were really excited," Spizzirri said. "All I had to do was ask. I guess you could call
me persistent."

Spizzirri's 17-year-old daughter, Christina, was fatally injured in a car crash near
Waukegan last year. The first police officers on the scene balked at administering CPR
because their certifications had expired. By the time paramedics arrived and began
treating Christina, it was too late.

Since then, Spizzirri has lead a local campaign to promote funding for, and participation
in, certification classes.

Edgar recently agreed to declare "Save a Life" Day in honor of the foundation Spizzirri
set up, and Philip is interested in sponsoring legislation for the group, according to
Spizzirri.

Not so fast: Before the campaign season officially begins, several candidates in Lake
County first must clear a few technical hurdles.

For three declared candidates to be listed on March primary ballots, they'll have to prove
to state and local election boards that local voters really support their candidacies.

Things aren't looking so good for one local candidate. The county election board has
found some problems with some of the signatures on petitions calling for the nomination
of Antioch resident Kenneth Domanchuk for County Board.

On Monday, the board will decide whether he still has enough valid signatures of
registered voters to stay on the ballot in the March Republican primary against incumbent
Jim Fields (R-Antioch) and real estate agent Judy Martini of Antioch.

Also under scrutiny are the validity of signatures on petitions nominating Republicans
Deloris Axelrod as a candidate for state representative and Don Huff as a candidate for
Congress in the 8th District.

Supporters of Axelrod's and Huff's opponents filed complaints about the candidates'
petitions. Their hearings are also pending.

State line: State Sen. David Barkhausen (R-Lake Bluff) is crusading for the state to lower
the blood alcohol content level required for a driver to be cited for driving under the
influence. Ten other states already have lowered the level from .10 to .08.

[Illustration]
PHOTO; Caption: PHOTO: David Hasselhoff will record a public service announcement
for the ``Save a Life'' cause.
MOTHER ON A MISSION - FIRST AID MIGHT HAVE SAVED HER DAUGHTER;
NOW, CAROL SPIZZIRRI IS A RELENTLESS CRUSADER

Chicago Tribune
January 16, 1995
Author: Julie Deardorff.
Estimated printed pages: 7

"The Lord said, `My precious child, I never left you during your time of trial. Where you
see only one set of footprints, I was carrying you.'" - "Footprints in the Sand"

It's after a fresh snowfall when the footprints first materialize, solitary steps that mark the
way to Christina Spizzirri's grave.

Usually the impressions in the earth are about nine inches long. Evenly spaced. And
formed by the quick, purposeful stride of Christina's mother, Carol.

"This is my girl," Carol Spizzirri whispered one afternoon, after shoveling off the black
marble gravemarker and brushing snow away from the last verse to Christina's favorite
poem, "Footprints in the Sand."

Oblivious to the wet snow seeping through her black dress shoes and nylons, Spizzirri
gazed around the cemetery she passes each time she leaves her Grayslake home.

"I can still feel her hand. And I see her everywhere. Her hair at the grocery store. Her
smile. Red was her favorite color. But there are others here. This cemetery is full of
children. I'm not the only one who has lost one."

Because of that sad truth, and because her own 18-year-old daughter died in a car
accident when basic first aid might have saved her life, Spizzirri's steps have grown
larger and taken her much farther than her daughter's grave.

Now she is angrily chasing politicians from Springfield to Washington, and running the
Save a Life Foundation, which is fighting to pass legislation requiring training in first aid
and cardiopulmonary resuscitation for police, firefighters, teachers, public safety workers
and emergency dispatchers.

Christina, of course, was her inspiration. First aid might have helped the girl after her arm
was severed in a crash on U.S. Highway 41 near Waukegan on Labor Day 1992.

The first police officers on the scene balked at administering aid. By the time the
paramedics arrived, Christina had bled to death on the highway.

"I asked (the police officer) what he did for my daughter, and he said his duty was to
direct traffic," said Spizzirri, recalling the inquest. "I said, `Your duty is to maintain
life!'"
When Spizzirri found out that police and fire personnel in Illinois, like other states, were
not required to be certified in first aid and CPR, nor were they required to assist in a
medical emergency, she was appalled and infuriated.

"Ninety percent of the time, police and firemen arrive at a scene first," she said while
flipping through her research: statistics on death and injuries to schoolchildren, letters
from congressmen and news clippings. In an instant, she can fax out more than 60 pages
of data supporting her cause to interested parties.

"No one was there to teach me how to lobby. I'm just a mother on a mission from God.
Like the Blues Brothers."

But it's a crusade that has cost her at least $60,000 of savings over two years, her
administrative job at Woodland School District 50, friendships with her neighbors (who
she said grew weary of her relentless crusading), and her marriage to second husband
Dave Spizzirri. The two divorced a year ago.

"If you met me at a party and I told you my story, how good would that make you feel?"
Spizzirri asked. "I tell everyone about my cause. All the time. I am obsessed with this,
and Dave realized there is no other room in my life except my children and Save a Life."

On the outside, Spizzirri is tireless and determined, a 48-year-old woman with shoulder-
length blond hair and faint weary lines under her warm coffee-colored eyes.

At Christmas, her house was cheerfully decorated, both inside and out. Most striking,
though, were her interior walls, covered with an incalculable number of pictures of her
three daughters, Carlotta, 25, Christina, and Ciprina, 15, the only one left at home.

"At first I was just going along with everything, but now I'm behind Mom all the way,"
said Ciprina, a sophomore at Warren High School. "I do reports about CPR, and my best
friend learned it too."

But the house "no longer reeks with laughter," said Spizzirri, and she lights an occasional
cigarette to get through difficult moments.

When grief threatens to break her, she copes by talking about Save a Life, which she runs
from Ciprina's old bedroom, now an office cluttered with donated computer equipment.

"Only 7 percent of 911 dispatchers are trained, for fear of lawsuits," Spizzirri recited.
"We lose 200,000 children a year due to accidents, not including violence. Fifty percent
of those children could be saved with prompt emergency reactions."

"I stepped on a lot of people's toes," she admitted. "Lobbying efforts are very technical
and no one was willing to teach me."
She plunged ahead anyway and set up the foundation in January 1993. Then she
approached officials from Lake County like state Sen. Adeline Geo-Karis, state Rep.
Robert Churchill and state Rep. Andrea Moore, but couldn't find anyone to call her back,
let alone sponsor legislation.

So she turned Downstate and approached state Rep. Chuck Hartke (D-Effingham).
Hartke listened and agreed to sponsor a bill that would mandate police, firefighters and
teachers to be trained in first aid and CPR.

"Ever try to give CPR to yourself?" asked Hartke, who is also trained in the lifesaving
technique. "It's impossible. All we had to do was convince the majority that it was
important and find the funds to do it.

"I don't think (Spizzirri) totally understands that not everyone has that as their No. 1
priority. Her persistence and her almost unbelievable simplistic approach is what was
surprising."

The legislation, which Moore and Churchill later helped sponsor, fizzled, ending in the
formation of a task force to study the issue.

Keeping up the pressure

Undeterred, she marched over to the Senate and campaigned in the hallway of the
Capitol, preaching to anyone who walked by.

At the Illinois State Fair, she ambushed politicians, including U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-
Ill.). She interrupted U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) during a press interview to
explain Save a Life and showed Moseley-Braun the 8-by-10-inch framed graduation
photo of Christina, which she carries on lobbying trips.

Then she spotted Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar at the fair on a golf cart and chased him for four
blocks, calling, "Governor, you and I have to talk!" before he listened to her story.

"I had to convince every politician individually," Spizzirri said. "I kept going back to
every office because they would say, `Oh yeah, I agree,' but then do nothing."

Celebrities also helped and she snagged support from former teen heartthrob Bobby
Sherman and David Hasselhoff, star of the television program "Baywatch."

Hasselhoff not only agreed to be the honorary chairman of "Save a Life Day," but also
taped a public service announcement encouraging people to sign up for classes.

Then Spizzirri received backing from groups like the National Safety Council, the
American Red Cross, the Illinois Department of Health and the Illinois State Police,
which already required regular recertification of its officers in CPR and first aid.
Not everyone was thrilled with Spizzirri's efforts. Some police groups and the Municipal
League argued that such a mandate would be too costly. According to Spizzirri, it would
amount to about $1.5 million a year.

"Where I have some question is the cost of retraining," said Lake County Sheriff Clinton
Grinnell.

"Also, putting it into practice in the field is going to take some thought. The first officer
on the scene has a lot of responsibility. One is to protect the area and make sure someone
isn't driving through the people already injured."

Finally, some results

But Spizzirri's persistence paid off. In September, Edgar signed a law that requires
Illinois police officers and firefighters to be trained in first aid and CPR before graduating
from their academies.

Edgar proclaimed Feb. 26 "Save a Life Day," and Illinois hospitals provided training and
certification in CPR and first aid to the public, many at no charge.

Also in September, President Clinton signed an appropriations bill introduced by U.S.


Rep. Richard Durbin of Springfield. The legislation allows all states to use grant money
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to fund CPR and first aid
training programs.

To finish the year, Spizzirri in December met with Hillary Rodham Clinton's staff about
Save a Life, and is now preparing a proposal for federal legislation.

"I dialed the wrong number but when I realized it was the First Lady's office, I told them
my story," Spizzirri said. "I sent information, then I got a phone call back and was told
they made photocopies of my material and walked it over to Hillary."

But it's not enough for Spizzirri, because the new Illinois law says nothing about
recertification, which is ideally done every two years.

And Spizzirri would like to see airline attendants, bus drivers, dentists, 911 phone
answerers, teachers-everyone-trained. She suggests it could be mandatory to receive CPR
training with a driver's license.

"She wanted all teachers to be trained-not just health teachers," Hartke said. "Some look
at that as another requirement, another mandate to dump on teachers-`How many 2nd
graders do you know have had a heart attack?' "

But history shows training the masses is possible and effective. In 1971 Seattle started
offering free CPR classes by trained fire department personnel, and by 1988, 35 percent
of the adult population was trained. Currently, about two-thirds of Seattle adults are
trained in CPR, and the statistics speak for themselves.

The heart attack survival rate in Seattle is 30 percent, according to the Journal of the
American Medical Association. New York's is 5.3 percent while Chicago's is a dismal 4
percent.

Pressing on

Some days it seems as if no one listens to Spizzirri. Others, she sees signs of progress.
The Gurnee Fire Department offers at least 20 CPR classes per month and they fill one
month in advance.

The legislators she has pestered have gone to certification classes themselves, realizing
they often speak in front of large crowds. A group of Illinois high school referees offered
a CPR training class in November and would like to see all officials trained.

Save a Life Day has turned into Save a Life Week, which will be Feb. 20 through 27, co-
sponsored by the Illinois Hospital Association.

And the spirited Spizzirri has two more bills in the works, one drafted by U.S. Rep. Gerry
Studds (D-Mass.) to amend the Public Health Service Act, and another by state Senate
President James "Pate" Phillip, who she said has agreed to sponsor legislation. Both bills
would expand the scope of training.

There's no telling how long she'll continue her crusade, but Spizzirri simply has to pass
the cemetery on her way home or walk upstairs to remember why she's fighting.

Her middle daughter's bedroom is intact-preserved exactly as she left it when she dashed
out of the house for the last time. The closet is full of dresses, and dust is gathering on the
frame of "Footprints in the Sand," which still hangs on the wall.

"She's still here, in me," Spizzirri said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"She's done a lot for humanity. Even in her death.

Caption:
PHOTOS: Carol Spizzirri visits the grave of her daughter Christina, whose arm was
severed in a car accident in 1992. By the time paramedics arrived, she had bled to death.
Tribune photos by Michael Budrys.
PHOTO: Carol Spizzirri at Christina's grave: ``I can still feel her hand. And I see her
everywhere,'' she says. Tribune photo by Michael Budrys
PHOTOS 3

Section: TEMPO
Page: 1
###

Correction: Additional material published Feb. 7, 1995:

Corrections and clarifications.

A story in the Jan. 16 Tempo section about the crusade of Carol Spizzirri of Grayslake to
require police, firefighters, teachers, public-safety workers and emergency dispatchers to
be trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation contained some errors because it
did not include details of official documents concerning the case that precipitated her
campaign.

Spizzirri told the Tribune that her daughter, Christina Pratt, 18, had bled to death on a
Lake County highway following a traffic accident in which the girl's arm was severed.
According to a coroner's inquest, however, Spizzirri's daughter died in a hospital, more
than an hour after the accident, of multiple traumatic injuries, including a depressed skull
fracture in the back of her head. Also, according to Chief Deputy Coroner James Wipper,
her arm was not severed in the accident, although Spizzirri maintains that it was.

The story also said that the first police officers at the scene of the accident "balked" at
administering first aid, implying that they should have administered it, and that "basic
first aid might have saved her life." In fact, the officers are not trained, certified or
required to perform first aid, and given the official cause of death, it is unlikely that basic
first aid would have saved her. The Tribune regrets the error

Copyright 1995, Chicago Tribune


Record Number: CTR9502070177
Robert Kolkebeck practices clearing the airways as his Kerkstra Middle School peers look on.
9
'
Grayslake mother's loss could save lives
basics of emergency life-support full time.
Pilot first-aid course f i s t aid. The school board enthusiasti-
Few people feel the need for
teaches pupils how such training more strongly than
cally endorsed hosting the pilot
program, said Supt. Keith BueIl.
Save A Life's founder and presi- He said he hopes Save A Life for
'to care, not to stare' dent, Carol Spizzirri. Kids can be integrated a s a per-
The death of her 17-year-old manent part of the district's cur-
By Charles Stanley' daughter. Christina, in an auio riculum
m THE TRJBUNE
SPECIAL accident near Waukegan on Labor
Day in 1992 encouraged Spizzirri "This i s valuable training."
The baby may have been noth to undertake a stubborn, and ulti- Buell said. "Too often in emergen-
ing more than a rubber doll, but mately successful personal cru. cies we have no choice but to
Charlie Sopko wasn't playing. sade to improve the training of stand back and do nothing."
He firmly thumped the doll's emergency workers. It was just the point Sopko was
back. making every effort to bring making to the pupils.
a breath out of the inanimate toy. In J a n u a r y 1995. Gov. J i m
That, he explained, was part of Edgar signed legislation requiring When emergencies happen. "we
how to clear a choking baby's first aid and cardiopulmonary want you to care,not to stare." he
throat. resuscitation training for gradua. told teacher Kathi Cassman's
His audience listened intently. tion from police and f u e acade- health class.
Sopko, a firefighter-paramedic mies. That same month. President
Clinton signed legislation spon. Using the baby doll as well as
with the Oak Forest Fire Depart sored by U.S. Rep. Dick Dwbin (D- toddler and adult-size dummies.
ment was showing these pupils at m.) encowaging states to use fed- Sopko showed how to administer
Kerkstra Middle School in Oak eral highway safety grants to offer rescue breathing techniques and
Forest one of the greatest miracles first aid and CPR programs for the Heimlich maneuver. He talked
there is: How to save another per- emergency personnel. about how to treat bleeding as
son's life. well as shock, how to call for help
Kerkstra was the s i t e last Spizzirri has extended her train- and why to stay calm.
month of the f i s t pilot classes of ing campaign to include school-
Save A Life for Kids. The one- children. He also taught the kids how to
hour program of basic life-support Schools and fire departments identify heart attacks in adults
techniques is specifically designed from California to Pennsylvania and urged them to insist that
to be taught to schoolchildren by have contacted her about Save A adults who downplay the symp-
their local f i e department's emer. Life for Kids. she said. toms get immediate hospital care:
gency medical service profession- Sopko learned of the program "Give them the guilt trip, OK?"
als. through an article written by Sopko said to the room full of
Instead of teaching children to John Vogel of the Orland Fire grins. "Keep on bugging them."
run for help. Save A Life for Kids Protection District in a firefight- After a 10-question test, the
teaches them how to give aid ers magazine. Vogel is working to
themselves when confronted with start the program later this year final step in the program is the
a potentially 1ife.threatening cir- in Orland schools. Spizzirri said. presentation of a button with the
cumstance such a s a choking Save A Life for Kids logo.
With his department's encour-
baby. agement Sopko made a presenta- "We thought about giving them
The program, which has draun tion to the school board in Forest a certificate, but they get a certm-
national interest. i s the latest Ridge School District 142, where cate for everything else." said Lt.
push by the Save A Life Founda- he had taught for four years Jeff Floyd of the Oak Forest F i e
tion in Grayslake to spread the before joining the f i e department Department.
. . - ~ .~ - -
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FIREFIGHTER'S EFFORTS BUY TIME CAMPAIGN TEACHES KIDS WHAT TO DO UNTIL


HELP ARRIVES; [SOUTHWEST SPORTS FINAL, SW Edition]
Don Babwin. Special to the Tribune.. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Apr 15, 1998. pg. 4

Abstract (Summary)
Lt. John Vogel knew how valuable safety education could be even before he joined the Orland Fire Protection District. When his
former boss' wife had a seizure, she suffocated because her tongue blocked her breathing. If her 5-year-old child had known to turn
her head to the side, her tongue would have fallen out of the way and allowed her to breathe.

He had heard about the organization from his chief. He contacted organization president and founder Carol Spizzirri and
volunteered to work with the group. At Spizzirri's suggestion, Vogel wrote that it would be a good idea to start a similar program for
children.

Charlie Sopko, an Oak Forest firefighter/paramedic, saw the article and agreed with Vogel. About three years later, the two had
developed a program and wrote a booklet to teach children that there are basic things they can do in an emergency that can--and
do--save lives. The program was funded by the foundation.

Full Text (1342 words)

Copyright Chicago Tribune Co. Apr 15, 1998

SPECIAL TOWN SECTION. Orland Park.

Lt. John Vogel knew how valuable safety education could be even before he joined the Orland Fire Protection District. When his
former boss' wife had a seizure, she suffocated because her tongue blocked her breathing. If her 5-year-old child had known to turn
her head to the side, her tongue would have fallen out of the way and allowed her to breathe.

In more than 14 years with the fire district, Vogel, a firefighter/paramedic, has seen the same kind of tragedy repeated time and time
again because children didn't know to turn a person's head or to dial 911.

Three years ago, he wrote an article for a newspaper distributed to firefighters, police officers and paramedics. The article was about
the Save A Life Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization based in Schiller Park that is devoted to training emergency personnel in
lifesaving techniques.

He had heard about the organization from his chief. He contacted organization president and founder Carol Spizzirri and volunteered
to work with the group. At Spizzirri's suggestion, Vogel wrote that it would be a good idea to start a similar program for children.

Spizzirri founded the organization after her daughter's death in 1992. The victim of a hit-and-run accident, the girl bled to death
because the first officer on the scene hadn't received sufficient first-aid training to save her life.

Charlie Sopko, an Oak Forest firefighter/paramedic, saw the article and agreed with Vogel. About three years later, the two had
developed a program and wrote a booklet to teach children that there are basic things they can do in an emergency that can--and
do--save lives. The program was funded by the foundation.

"We're just trying to teach kids enough to keep somebody going until we get there," Vogel, 43, says. "We're trying to buy some time."

Since the program was developed, Spizzirri, of Schiller Park, has been campaigning to make sure all public service workers in the
state, including teachers and police officers, have the kind of training that could have saved her daughter's life.

Spizzirri recognized that what Vogel and Sopko were offering filled a very serious gap: the critical time before emergency personnel
arrive at the scene of an accident. "He was a godsend," she says, explaining that he has brought his expertise to the organization.

In its first school year of 1996-97, about 5,000 children throughout Illinois received the Save A Life For Kids training. This year,
another 20,000 are expected to be trained, Spizzirri says.

More than 150 fire departments and districts throughout the state have requested and received the program. The charge, 75 cents
for each child who takes the program, defrays the cost of publishing the booklet. Fire departments in other states, such as Colorado,
Wisconsin, Arizona and New Mexico, also have requested it. "We've even had inquiries from (departments in) Turkey, France and
Canada," Vogel says.

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Jack McCastland, Vogel's chief, praises the idea. "He did this on his own (not as part of his duties), as an individual--he just did it,"
McCastland says.

The booklet is designed to show children in a short time simple things they can do to help someone in an emergency. The program
is aimed at children ages 4 through 12. Depending on their age, children learn basic skills, such as bleeding control, the Heimlich
maneuver, rescue breathing, how to recognize a heart attack and how to call for help.

Younger children go through the booklet, and older children have hands-on practice with fire department dummies and equipment.
For example, to stop bleeding, the children are taught to put a plastic bag over their hands and apply pressure to the wound.

The program is taught by firefighters, who initially were trained by Vogel and Sopko. Qualified firefighters now are training other
firefighters to teach the classes.

Vogel considers the program's brevity to be a strong point. "We teach basic lifesaving skills in an hour to an hour and a half," he
says.

Vogel, who has five children, understands about short attention spans and designed the program to be short. "For an hour, it is easy
to hold their attention," he says, especially because there are pictures in the booklet.

Vogel believes that teaching children these skills is as important as the instruction he and other firefighters give them on fire safety.

"It is rare you're trapped in a burning building," he says. "But 80 percent of our calls are medical calls. A kid home with his grandma
or mother who has a heart attack--that kind of thing happens every day."

And while he is heartened by stories about a small child dialing 911, he believes that shouldn't be so rare as to warrant mention on
the news. "Kids should be doing that," he says.

Vogel grew up in an unincorporated area near Orland Park. He attended Sandburg High School in Orland Park for two years and
transferred to Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights for his junior and senior years.

He worked in construction for seven years, and it was during that time that his boss' wife died.

He had to quit work for about a year because of an illness. During that year, he took first-aid classes offered by the American Red
Cross and became a Red Cross volunteer.

After he recovered from his illness, he moved back to Orland Park. He had developed an interest in becoming an emergency
medical technician, and he enrolled in classes at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. He began working as a
paid-on-call firefighter/EMT for the district. He was hired full time in 1983 and became a paramedic in 1984.

Vogel says he has a deep appreciation for life. He knows first hand how, in an instant, it can go terribly wrong. One day when he was
17, he was driving on an interstate highway; he couldn't see that traffic had stopped on the other side of a rise and his car slammed
into the rear of a truck at 70 m.p.h.

His pelvis and chest were crushed, and doctors weren't sure he would survive. One of his legs was so badly mangled that doctors
didn't know whether they could save it. He made a full recovery with his leg intact.

He vividly remembers the treatment he received en route to the hospital. "I was thrown on a stretcher by people who didn't have a
clue what to do," he says. "It wasn't their fault, they just didn't have the training." He smiles in amazement at the first-aid information
that wasn't known at the time. "I remember they strapped a safety belt across my crushed pelvis and another tight across my chest,"
he says. "And then both of the guys went and sat up front (in the ambulance). There wasn't anybody in back with me."

Vogel was in the hospital for a month and unable to walk for five months.

Later, after his first-aid training, he decided to teach first aid in Red Cross programs, first in Fond du Lac, Wis., where he moved after
high school.

Vogel, who is divorced, lives in New Lenox with his three daughters, ages 15, 13 and 8. He also has two grown sons and three
grandchildren.

Today, educating others remains a major part of his life. Besides his job at the fire district and his promotion of Save A Life For Kids,
he teaches classes to other emergency workers. They include paramedic classes at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn and Ingalls
Memorial Hospital in Harvey, and tactical rescue classes to firefighters in the district.

On Sundays he teaches an adult Bible study class at his church, the New Lenox Church of the Nazarene.

When he is not teaching, he's taking correspondence courses in biology from Western Illinois University, Macomb, and music at
Moraine Valley. "I'm trying to get myself educated," he says with a laugh.

[Illustration]
PHOTO; Caption: PHOTO: Orland Fire Protection District Lt. John Vogel helped start the Save A Life For Kids program, which teaches tips
such as dialing 911. Tribune photo by James Mayo.

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Pupils prepare for emergencies ; Health-care pros teach youngsters CPR, first aid;
[West , DN Edition]
Laura Zahn Pohl Special to the Tribune. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Jan 10, 2002. pg. 3

Abstract (Summary)
Steck 4th graders Jessica Kligis and Tyler Xanders learn how to take their pulses during a first-aid presentation. Jessica Kligis
watches as Chicago Fire Capt. [George Gurrola] shows Steck School pupils how to perform CPR.

Full Text (531 words)

(Copyright 2002 by the Chicago Tribune)

Pumping hard with his fists and counting aloud to 15, Pulkit Goel, 9, was among the first youngsters Tuesday to practice the steps of
basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation at Steck Elementary School in Aurora.

Each of the school's 4th- and 5th-grade pupils spent an hour learning about basic first aid and practicing lifesaving skills on a
mannequin they pretended was their grandfather. "I think I did pretty good, but my grandparents live in India," Pulkit said.

Regardless of family locations or the ages of pupils' friends, the goal this week was to go beyond health basics, said Joyce Peters, the
school's physical education teacher.

Typically, pupils don't receive instruction in first aid at school, but Peters wanted to expand the health curriculum. "So many of them at
this age are allowed to go to the park with their friends," Peters said. "If you're with two friends and someone gets hurt, one person
runs for help and the one who stays back better knows what to do."

To teach the Steck pupils, Peters enlisted the Save A Life Foundation, which is based in Schiller Park. The organization was founded
by Carol Spizzirri, who lost a daughter in a car accident due to bleeding from an arm wound. She recruited nurses and trained
firefighters to teach basic first aid, with the hope that others would be prepared in an emergency.

In November, Save A Life Foundation opened an office in Hanover Park to reach out to more suburban schools.

The two days of instruction at Steck were the first arranged through the new office. "We're hoping to recruit more instructors in this
area," said Betsy Green, who manages the new office. The organization pays its instructors, she added.

One of the instructors, George Gurrola of Chicago, works full time as a captain in the Chicago Fire Department. He got off duty at the
Midway Rescue Station at 8 a.m. Tuesday and arrived ready to teach in Aurora by 9:15 a.m. He's been using his off-duty time to teach
first aid for the last 3 1/2 years and can give instruction in Spanish.

"I had heard Carol's story, that she wanted every kid to be educated in first aid," Gurrola said. "I really believe in her and what's she's
doing."

Gurrola simplifies his first-aid training for children to the letters A, B and C, which stand for airway, breathing and circulation. He shows
the pupils how to open an airway, check for breathing and begin CPR. Dashing to the phone to call 911 is part of the procedure.

"You should always have a clue as to where you are," he told the youngsters. "So many people go blank on addresses and directions."

Gurrola's talk included how to treat heavy bleeding from a wound and a demonstration of the Heimlich maneuver, which he asked the
pupils not to practice.

For more information about Save A Life Foundation, call 847-952- 7385.

[Illustration]
PHOTOS 2; Caption: PHOTO: Steck 4th graders Jessica Kligis (left) and Tyler Xanders learn how to take their pulses during a first-aid
presentation. PHOTO: Jessica Kligis watches as Chicago Fire Capt. George Gurrola shows Steck School pupils how to perform CPR. Tribune
photos by Mario Petitti.

Indexing (document details)


Subjects: Elementary school students, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, First aid
Locations: Aurora Illinois

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Emergency responders welcome a lifesaving icon ; Heimlich on hand for


summit on dealing with crises; [Chicago Final Edition]
Manya A Brachear, Tribune staff reporter. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Sep 17, 2003. pg. 6

Abstract (Summary)
At the summit, sponsored by the Save a Life Foundation based in Schiller Park, representatives from the National Weather
Service shared the agency's procedures and offered ways to become an effective weather watcher. Speakers also urged
participants to teach lifesaving skills such as the Heimlich maneuver and CPR and how to respond in emergencies such as
tornadoes.

Full Text (512 words)

(Copyright 2003 by the Chicago Tribune)

At first, organizers of an emergency preparedness summit Tuesday thought Hurricane Isabel had stolen several of its
keynote speakers. After all, it was hard to compete with a real national emergency.

Then in walked the crowd pleaser--Dr. Henry Heimlich, father of the maneuver that has enabled thousands to save victims
from choking to death or drowning.

For participants of the conference aimed at changing the way witnesses respond to a crisis, Heimlich is an icon.

At the summit, sponsored by the Save a Life Foundation based in Schiller Park, representatives from the National Weather
Service shared the agency's procedures and offered ways to become an effective weather watcher. Speakers also urged
participants to teach lifesaving skills such as the Heimlich maneuver and CPR and how to respond in emergencies such as
tornadoes.

With the proper training, summit organizers said, schools, corporations and individuals can more effectively respond to
disasters, health risks, and crime.

"It's not just for professional first responders," said Liz DiGregorio, Citizen Corps liaison to the White House, during a
presentation Tuesday.

Bystanders, witnesses and victims are often the first people to help in an accident, DiGregorio said, pointing out that there
are not enough police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel to cover everyone.

Carol Spizzirri, founder of the Save a Life Foundation, said government agencies need to cooperate more.

In an effort to build camaraderie between entities, Spizzirri invited representatives from the National Weather Service,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Chicago Police and Fire Departments and Cook County Department of Public
Health to the summit.

"It's a shame that we can't learn from each other ... because we've put these barriers up," she said.

Spizzirri started Save a Life in 1993 after her daughter died in a hit-and-run car accident. People who arrived first on the
scene had not been trained to administer the care that could have saved her life, she said.

Empowering bystanders in emergencies is key; it also does wonders for a person's self-esteem, she added. "We have given
that person something to embrace with their hearts, their heads, their hands," she said. "With these skills, you become a
different person."

Perhaps that's why Heimlich, president of the Heimlich Institute in Cincinnati, heard from more Samaritans than survivors
Tuesday. He has helped people rush to the rescue in restaurants around the world. He will kick off the second day of the
conference at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday.

"I always say the life you save is in your hands," Heimlich said. "What moves me more than anything else is hearing

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individual cases."

Bill Jaconetti said he has saved lives as a Chicago police officer but saving his daughter from choking on a piece of candy
years ago gave him the most gratification.

"I've already kissed his picture [in the program]," he said. "I want to give that man a hug."

[Illustration]
PHOTO; Caption: PHOTO: Dr. Henry Heimlich, father of the famous maneuver, greets Carol J. Spizzirri, founder of the Save a Life
Foundation, Tuesday at the emergency responders summit at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Tribune photo by Heather Stone.

Indexing (document details)


Subjects: Conferences, Speakers, Emergency preparedness
Locations: Chicago Illinois
People: Heimlich, Henry
Author(s): Manya A Brachear, Tribune staff reporter
Document types: News
Section: Metro
Publication title: Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Sep 17, 2003. pg. 6
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN: 10856706
ProQuest document ID: 406102911
Text Word Count 512
Document URL: http://research.cincinnatilibrary.org:2073/pqdweb?did=406102911&sid=5&Fmt=3&cli
entId=17630&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Copyright © 2009 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.

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QUALITIES OF LIFE: HEALTH

CPR activist targets kids as emerging


heroes
Julie Deardorff
Chicago Tribune
July 3, 2005

CPR is one of those skills I've been meaning to learn for years. But it wasn't until I began
fishing life-threatening objects out of my infant's mouth that I managed to get my
procrastinating self into a class.

It shouldn't have taken so long, especially because I've known of Carol Spizzirri and her
work for more than a decade. But Spizzirri, the tireless founder of the Schiller Park-based
Save A Life Foundation, or SALF, doesn't bother nagging adults.

Her life mission, a crusade that began after her teenage daughter was killed in a 1992 car
accident, is to teach an entire generation of children how to save lives.

Adults always think, "Why should I spend money to learn these skills if it isn't going to
happen to me?" said Spizzirri, of Grayslake. "That's why we empower the children. By
the time they graduate [from high school], the skills should be so ingrained that it's like
brushing their teeth."

Spizzirri first lobbied to pass legislation requiring Illinois police and firefighters--often
the first responders to an accident--to be trained in CPR, or cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, and first aid. The 1994 law also requires yearly refresher courses.

Since then, the foundation's primary focus has been to teach America's youth the
importance of emergency lifesaving techniques. With support and guidance from two of
the most influential men in the field--Dr. Henry Heimlich, the architect of the anti-
choking maneuver, and the late Dr. Peter Safar, a founding father of CPR--Spizzirri co-
wrote an age-appropriate training curriculum.

Firefighters and other emergency medical service professionals, who have been recruited
and trained to teach by SALF, are the ambassadors who take the free program into public
schools.

Since 1993, more than a million Illinois children from kindergarten through 12th grade
have been exposed to life-supporting first aid skills through SALF. The youngest learn
scene safety, how to contact 911 and bleeding control. The Heimlich and early heart
attack care is introduced in 3rd grade. CPR, to restore blood flow to vital organs, is added
in 6th grade.
Eventually Spizzirri wants teachers, coaches and bus drivers to know CPR and for the
skill to be mandatory in driver's education.

"These emergencies happen everywhere," said Spizzirri, a former nurse who has been
honored nationally for her leadership and activism. "If we empower the kids with the
training, they'll be able to do it and embarrass the heck out of adults."

But there's no need to wait until you've been shamed by your 9-year-old nephew's
flawless chest-compression demonstration or there's a crisis at the local swimming pool,
the neighbor's back yard or the office. In addition to Save A Life (www.salf.org), both the
American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org) and American Red Cross
(www.redcross.org) offer convenient training classes.

Even if you've had CPR instruction, refresher courses should be taken every two years,
something that isn't happening at most Illinois police departments, including Chicago's,
Spizzirri said.

Most CPR classes also now incorporate training on automated external defibrillators, or
AED's. By July 2006, these nearly foolproof devices that (unlike CPR) can jump-start a
stopped heart, will be required at all Illinois health clubs, school gymnasiums and park
district facilities.

The day after I discovered my son was secretly sucking on a small stick, I signed up for a
comprehensive eight-hour class through the American Red Cross, which included adult,
child and infant CPR, first aid and AED training. It was hands-on and hygienic; we
breathed into the mouths of our own personal mannequins through disposable plastic
shields.Throughout the day, I learned that choking adults should be given abdominal
thrusts instead of back blows, a practice that ended more than 10 years ago. The class
covered state Good Samaritan laws (taking an approved training course protects do-
gooders from lawsuits) and AED precautions (cells phones shouldn't be used with in six
feet of the devices.)

But it wasn't just the technical information that was invaluable. The confidence that
comes with taking a class or having previous exposure to equipment like an AED is a
critical part of staying calm during a crisis. And there's nothing better than knowing I can
take action should something happen to the most important people in my life, or to total
strangers. It was empowering.

----------

E-mail Julie Deardorff at jdeardorff@tribune.com. Send health and fitness news to


rwerland@tribune.com.

Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune


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Foundation lawsuit tied to Heimlich family feud; [Chicago Final Edition]


Michael Higgins. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: May 4, 2007. pg. 8

Abstract (Summary)
The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a feud between [Henry Heimlich] and his son. On his Web site, [Peter Heimlich] derides his
father for continuing to push what he says are discredited theories, such as the idea that the Heimlich maneuver should be
used on drowning victims.

Full Text (284 words)

(Copyright 2007 by the Chicago Tribune)

A non-profit foundation that promotes the Heimlich maneuver to aid choking victims filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday
against three critics, including the estranged son of Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the technique.

The Save-A-Life Foundation, based in Schiller Park, alleges that Peter Heimlich and others have falsely accused the
foundation of teaching improper first-aid techniques, misleading potential donors about the group's finances and misstating
how many people the foundation has trained.

The defendants spread their charges to the news media as part of "their organized campaign to destroy Save-A-Life,"
according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

The criticism has made it harder for Save-A-Life to get government grants and private donations, the lawsuit said.

Also named as defendants are Robert Baratz, an official of the National Council Against Health Fraud, and Jason Haap, who
runs the Cincinnati Beacon Web site.

None of the defendants could be reached Thursday for comment.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a feud between Henry Heimlich and his son. On his Web site, Peter Heimlich derides his
father for continuing to push what he says are discredited theories, such as the idea that the Heimlich maneuver should be
used on drowning victims.

The lawsuit alleges that some defendants made defamatory statements on an ABC-7 TV report in November. No news outlets
are named as defendants.

Since Save-A-Life was founded in 1993, it has trained about 1.6 million children in lifesaving techniques, the lawsuit said. The
foundation says it has 13 branches in seven states.

Dr. Heimlich is closely affiliated with Save-A-Life, and until recently he served on the group's medical advisory board, according
to the lawsuit.

----------

mjhiggins@tribune.com

Credit: By Michael Higgins, Tribune staff reporter

Indexing (document details)


Subjects: Litigation, Heimlich maneuver, Defamation
People: Heimlich, Peter
Companies: Save-A-Life Foundation (NAICS: 813319 )
Author(s): Michael Higgins
Document types: News

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Save-A-Life Foundation in limbo; Charity dogged by critics, economy is 'in


hibernation'
Lisa Black. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Oct 11, 2009. pg. 24

Abstract (Summary)
[...] 2008, the Illinois Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the lion's share
of the foundation's annual income.

Full Text (774 words)

(Copyright 2009 by the Chicago Tribune)

CORRECTION: This story contains corrected material, published Oct. 16, 2009.

Carol Spizzirri's life changed the instant she learned the horrifying details of her daughter's car wreck. The teenager suffered a
severe head injury, and her left arm was nearly severed after her Pontiac Grand Am slid off the road and overturned. Police, who
found the 18-year-old lying outside the vehicle, testified they weren't trained in first aid and could offer little but comfort.

A University of Chicago doctor later examined the medical records from the 1992 crash near Waukegan. Despite a county
coroner's report to the contrary, he said Christina Jean Pratt (the name as published has been corrected here and in a subsequent
reference in this text) might not have died had she received basic first aid for control of hemorrhage.

Haunted by her daughter's death, Spizzirri launched a nonprofit organization ded icated to teaching children emergency response
techniques, raising at least $8.6 million in federal and state grants for her Save-A-Life Foundation. Firefighters and paramedics
were recruited to offer instruction on how to apply CPR and stop bleeding and choking, said Spizzirri, who estimates 2 million
children took the classes, many of them from the Chicago Public Schools.

Her supporters in the 1990s included Gov. Jim Edgar, then-U.S. Rep Dick Durbin and television star David Hasselhoff of
"Baywatch" fame. She appeared on "Inside Edition" and helped push through a state law in 1994 that requires police and
firefighters be trained to provide first aid.

But Spizzirri, 63, has quietly closed the foundation's headquarters in Schiller Park. The organization, which once had 13 national
branches and planned to go international, no longer receives public funding and is "in hibernation" until the economy improves,
she said.

The subject of an unflattering television report in 2006, Spizzirri was embroile d for two years in a defamation lawsuit she filed in
state court against several critics who alleged she couldn't prove that her orga nization had trained as many children as she said
and that it wasted taxpayers' money. Spizzirri, who eventually dropped her suit, said it took its toll and helped prompt her recent
decision to suspend operations.

"I can sleep because I know I did no harm," she said.

As the foundation's president, Spizzirri proved skillful at raising money and pitching her program at the state and federal levels.
Until 2008, the Illinois Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the lion's share
of the foundation's annual income. The state contributed $600,000 to $700,000 an nually most years, beginning in 1999, according
to tax records.

The Public Health Department "completed all of the standard grant monitoring req uired by the grant agreements and found the
money was spent appropriately," according to an agency statement.

The CDC also provided thousands in grant money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency adopted the program as one of
many Citizen Corps affiliates, but, "The group did not receive funding, and Citizen Corps has since ended its affiliation with the
foundation," said spokesman Clark Stevens.

Much of the foundation's work, Spizzirri said, focused on Chicago's public schools. City school officials did not respond to inquiries
about how many students received emergency training, but officials previously confirmed that the foundation taught classes that
were arranged by individual schools.

Records show that Spizzirri reported her annual salary as $104,500 in 2000, an a mount that dropped over the years to $33,380,

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according to the last available record.

Critics have alleged that Save-A-Life initially garnered support with a misleadi ng portrayal of Christina Jean Pratt's death. The
foundation's 1995 annual report stated that the teenager "bled to death followin g a hit-and-run accident," but police reports
indicate only the teen's car was involved. The report omitted that the teen's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

Testimony at a Lake County coroner's inquest revealed the teenager had been drin king alcohol at her mother's house with friends
earlier in the evening.

At the time of the crash, Spizzirri was on a visit to Florida. She had undergone a rocky divorce and had a turbulent relationship
with her daughter, who temporarily lived at a neighbor's house, according to cou rt records.

Today, Spirrizzi is consumed with a new project: helping municipalities fight cyber-crime. She said she is starting a private
business with close friend Rita Mullins, 64, former mayor of Palatine.

"I am," Spizzirri said, "a mom who lost a child, and that is all that is important."

-----------

lblack@tribune.com

Confidence from training: Julie Deardorff on CPR training at chicagotribune.com/ training

Credit: By Lisa Black, TRIBUNE REPORTER

[Illustration]
Caption: Photo (color): Carol Spizzirri, founder of Save-A-Life Foundation: "I can sle ep because I know I did no harm." STACEY
WESCOTT/TRIBUNE PHOTO

Indexing (document details)


Subjects: Business closings
Companies: Save-A-Life Foundation (NAICS: 813319 )
Author(s): Lisa Black
Document types: News
Section: News
Publication title: Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Oct 11, 2009. pg. 24
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN: 10856706
ProQuest document ID: 1877065671
Text Word Count 774
Document URL: http://research.cincinnatilibrary.org:2073/pqdweb?did=1877065671&sid=17&Fmt=3&c
lientId=17630&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Copyright © 2009 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.

2 of 2 10/22/2009 5:17 PM
Corrections and clarifications, Oct. 16, 2009 - chicagotribune.com http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-claris_10-16-09oct16,0,83474...

www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-claris_10-16-09oct16,0,1697938.story

chicagotribune.com
Corrections and clarifications, Oct. 16, 2009
October 16, 2009

--A story and an editorial Thursday inaccurately described action on legislation in Springfield that would reduce the
number of votes needed to override vetoes by the Cook County Board president. The Illinois House and a Senate
committee passed two different bills regarding the same issue; they did not vote on the same bill.

--An item on Thursday's Talk page listed an incorrect approximate order for peak fall colors in 10 national parks. The
correct order is: Acadia National Park, Maine; Mount Rainier National Park, Wash.; Saratoga National Historic Park,
N.Y.; Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Ind.; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minn.; Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pa.; New River Gorge National River, W.Va.; Cuyahoga Valley National Park,
Ohio; Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pa.; Great Smoky Mountains National Park, N.C./Tenn.

--On Page 4 Thursday, a photo caption incorrectly described a traffic tie-up related to the problem with a section of
buckled pavement on the Kennedy Expressway. The photograph showed that northbound traffic Wednesday evening
was backed up on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

--A Section 1 news brief on Thursday incorrectly said that the Food and Drug Administration warned Procter &
Gamble for adding vitamin C to its cold products. The federal agency said it did not issue a warning to the company.

--A story on Sunday about Carol Spizzirri and the Save-A-Life Foundation identified her late daughter as Christina
Spizzirri, a name that her mother said she went by. The daughter's legal name, however, was Christina Jean Pratt.

The Tribune regrets the errors.

Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

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