Telegraph Herald Articles
Boy Scout uses training to save life

Date: 05/13/2004

Edition: Wisconsin
Section: Tri-state
Page: A3
Story type: Current

Photo Caption: Ryan Fagan, 11, of Dubuque, learns how to tie different types of knots during a Boy Scout meeting at St. Anthony School in Dubuque. Fagan saved his brother from choking by using the Heimlich maneuver, which he learned through scouting.

Photo Credit: Ben Plank


Boy Scout uses training to save life
by MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON



Ryan Fagan could not have guessed that two days after he learned how to save a choking person in his Boy Scout meeting, he would need to use those first-aid skills.
Several months ago, Ryan paid attention when his troop learned the Heimlich maneuver. Afterward, the Scouts of Troop 7 paired up and practiced on each other.
Two days later, Ryan's brother, Eric, 9, started choking on a piece of candy in his bedroom and Ryan jumped into action. He positioned himself for the Heimlich and squeezed his brother's diaphragm area until the candy popped out and Eric started breathing again. By the time their mom ran into the room, both boys were distraught, but otherwise fine.
"I never thought I'd have to use the Heimlich maneuver," said Ryan, a sixth-grader at Irving School who has been in scouting for four years.
"People don't know that scouting is more than just having fun."
"That's why we teach basic skills - so they can take care of themselves and others around them," said Steve Piersch, of Asbury, scout master for Troop 7. "Scouting gives boys more confidence to deal with the world and different situations and it prepares them for hardships and problem-solving," he said.
Being in Boy Scouts has done a lot to boost Ryan's self-confidence, said his mother, Lisa Bodnar, of Dubuque.
"Ryan has gained self-respect and self-discipline. It encourages personal growth. I can't say enough good about scouting," said Bodnar, who is a Cub Scout den leader.
That's what Billy Riley likes to hear. He is the head of the Northeast Iowa Council of Boy Scouts of America based in Dubuque. He oversees 125 scouting units with about 4,400 scouts in six counties.
The scouting program is funded through private donations, proceeds from the annual popcorn sales, a few fund-raisers and with money from the United Way, which provides about 17 percent of the program's annual budget.
"We are good financial stewards, but without the United Way money, we would have to make cuts. That would affect a lot of youth. It keeps a level of quality in Dubuque we wouldn't be able to have without it," Riley said.
Ryan Fagan just knows how much he enjoys Boy Scouts.
"It's fun meeting new people and learning other skills we might use in our lives, like treating burns or snake bites," said Ryan, who plans to continue in Boy Scouts through the Eagle Scout level.


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