The Story of Resusci Anne
By Lifesaver Education
Have you ever wondered how the lifelike mannequins that are used to teach CPR came into being? The story is an interesting one that serves to illustrate how tragedy can turn to triumph.
In the early 19th century in Paris, a young girl’s body was recovered from the River Seine. The girl’s body provided no clues as to how she came to be in the river. Her identity was a mystery. As was a custom of the time, a death mask was created, so that if anyone came forward at a later time identification could be made. The girl was young and beautiful, and fueled many romantic stories about the circumstances that had led to her being in the river. One such story that flourished was that the girl had taken her own life after a failed romance. Reproductions of the death mask became a popular item in Europe.
Many years later Asmund Laerdal, a business owner, decided to create a lifelike mannequin that could be used in teaching mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He felt that the mannequin should be as realistic as possible to increase motivation among students. Having heard and been moved by the tragic story of the girl found in the river (and never identified), Laerdal used the girl’s face on his new mannequin, which he called Resusci Anne. In essence, he provided the dead girl, mourned by many but known by none, a name. In turn, she became the first model for training people in lifesaving techniques such as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR.
Today, thanks to “Anne”, millions of people have learned the skills necessary to save a life by practicing on a realistic mannequin. The next time you update your CPR or ACLS course, you may remember the story of Anne and how she touched so many lives. You, too, can alter the course of another’s life. To find Los Angeles BLS classes near you, please visit Lifesaver Ed.
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