PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It was a momentarily heavy Juneteenth eve for kids at a recreation center in West Philadelphia.
They got a serious, perhaps lifesaving lesson from Penn Medicine professionals on how to stop someone from bleeding if they encounter someone who is shot or wounded.
Kids as young as seven or eight years old took a break from practicing jump shots to learn how to help save a life.
They stood watching with curious little eyes as the instructors showed them how to stuff gauze into a bleeding wound.
Naeem Gregory seemed to take well to the lesson. He successfully packed a fake stab wound and then applied pressure on a practice mannequin.
"It was helpful because if somebody is bleeding you can soak up the blood and get help," he said.
"I hope they never use it, but it will be a good thing if they know what to do," said Kevin Jackson, one of the instructors. He grew up about four blocks away from Christy Rec Center near South 56th and Christian streets.
"If they can learn the basics, who knows what they can branch off into."
"It was my little cousins that got killed in this playground," said Manny Bond.
"I just wanna make a difference for my sons and my grandsons."
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