People around the globe have learned CPR on a manikin known as Resusci Anne although, many will be unaware of the story behind Resusci Anne.
Resusci Anne is actually the face of a young woman who drowned in the River Seine in the 1800's. As was customary in those days, her corpse was put on display in the Paris mortuary, in the hope that someone would recognise and identify her body.
The pathologist on duty became entranced by the girl with the enigmatic half-smile and commissioned a plaster cast made of her face. The mask was replicated many times over. Before long the mask began to appear for sale outside the mouleurs' workshops on the Left Bank and soon the young woman's face became a muse for artists, novelists and poets, all eager to weave imagined identities and stories around the mystery woman that became known as 'the drowned Mona Lisa' and 'L'Inconnue de la Seine' or 'The Unknown Woman of the Seine'.
In 1955, Asmund Laerdal saved his young son from drowning by grabbing his lifeless body from the water just in time and clearing his airways.
Laerdal was a successful Norweigan toy manufacturer during this time, specialising in making children's dolls and model cars from the new generation of soft plastics. When he was approached to make a training aid for the newly-invented technique of CPR - the combination of chest compressions and the kiss of life which can save the life of a patient whose heart has stopped - his son's brush with death a few years earlier made him very receptive.
He developed a torso or whole-body mannequin which simulates an unconscious patient requiring CPR. Asmund wanted his mannequin to have a natural appearance. He also felt that a female doll would seem less threatening to trainees. Remembering a mask on the wall of his grandparents' house many years earlier, he decided that the L'Inconnue de la Seine would become the face of Resusci Anne.
The anonymous woman who drowned in the Seine during the 19th century is now responsible for saving many lives. It is said that she has the most kissed face of all time.
defibshop offer a wide range of Training Manikins to provide a realistic learning experience. Manikins allow trainers to demonstrate the whole rescue process, including CPR delivery and defibrillation. The different 'aged' manikins provide learners with an insight to treatment differences between babies, children and adults.
defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.