Resusci Anne: How the Death of a Young Girl Brings Life to Many
If you have learned, taught, or trained CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), you have certainly heard of Resusci Anne, and likely have given her compressions and rescue breaths… But do you know the story behind her face?
In the late 1800s, the body of a young woman was pulled from the Seine in Paris. The young woman’s face – with a soft smile – became the fascination of a pathologist, who cast a mold from it. About a year later, the mold was used to create the face of a CPR doll – the one we all now know as “Resusci Anne” or “Little Anne.”
Resusci Anne is often referred to as “the most kissed girl in the world” and has transformed CPR, resuscitation, and other medical training worldwide. Read more to learn the full story behind Resusci Anne!
There are many stories and tales surrounding the girl found in the Seine River; one includes the story of a twin sister who later recognized the mask, and another depicts her as a Hungarian actress murdered by her lover. Countless other tales exist, although none of them can be verified.
What is known is this: the body of a girl – who looked to be around the age of 16 – was pulled from the Seine, a river in northern France. With no signs of violence on the body, the cause of death – and the identity of the girl – were unknown. The body was put on display, in hopes that someone could identify her (a common practice at the time), but unfortunately no one did. The pathologist who performed her autopsy was mesmerized with the serene smile on the girl’s face and cast a mold to preserve it. A mask of the girl’s face was replicated and sold under the name "L'Inconnue de la Seine.”
Resusci Anne – also known as CPR Annie, Little Annie, Little Anne, or Resusci Annie – is the name of the resuscitation training doll, made by Laerdal, that used the face of the girl from the Seine. But how did it get made?
In the late 1950’s, a member of the American Heart Association’s new CPR Committee, Archer Gordon, realized that a CPR dummy (also called a CPR dummie, CPR model, or CPR manikin) could help medical student’s practice the lifesaving techniques. To bring his idea to life, he enlisted the help of a colleague and toymaker Asmund Laerdal. Having seen a replica of the "L'Inconnue de la Seine" on the wall of a friend or relatives house, Asmund Laerdal decided to give the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation doll that same face. Thus, Resusci Anne was born.
This creation paved a new pathway for Laerdal, who then turned their focus towards emergency and first aid training products. By the 60’s, Laerdal developed equipment for ventilation and airway control, along with training aids. Laerdal’s presence in the emergency, first aid, and pre-hospital training world has only grown since.
To this day, Resusci Anne continues to help CPR, EMS, and other healthcare professionals around the world train a wide range of resuscitation skills to prepare others to save lives. Resusci Anne, along with Little Anne and other Laerdal manikins and training products, are perfect for those who train in lay-responder, hospital, and pre-hospital care situations. Their realism, durability, and flexibility truly elevate CPR training and allow lay-responders and healthcare providers to perfect both individual skills and teamwork.
Laerdal’s mission, helping save lives, truly encompasses what the company is all about. Their vision: no one should die or be disabled unnecessarily during birth or from sudden illness, trauma, or medical error. Their goal? To help save one million lives every year by 2030.
WorldPoint is a proud partner to and distributor for Laerdal, bringing their high-quality resuscitation products, including Resusci Anne and MegaCode Kelly, to healthcare training professionals around the world.
For a limited time only, we are offering top Laerdal products ON SALE, including Laerdal Resusci Anne QCPR AED Airway!
Click here to view all products on sale through 9/3/2021!
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