Victim’s family gratified with signing of CPR bill

Friday, July 18, 1997 | 10:24 a.m.

Kimberly's father, George, smiled as Miller's signature was affixed to SB316. Her mother, Ruth, held back tears.

SB316 mandates that physical education teachers and other licensed school personnel who teach or supervise in other "high risk" areas be certified in CPR and be recertified annually.

The bill is the culmination of two years of work by the Curtis family to help ensure that what happened to Kimberly in 1995, doesn't happen to other Nevada children.

Kimberly died two years ago after collapsing on the playground at White Middle School in Henderson during a P.E. class. Precious time was wasted because no one but the school nurse knew how to administer CPR.

After Kimberly's collapse, the nurse had to be located, Kimberly's records had to be checked for existing medical conditions and the nurse had to rush to Kimberly and start CPR. Although it wasn't known at the time, Kimberly had an enlarged heart that caused the collapse and her death later that morning at St. Rose Dominican Hospital.

Even though the family still grieves the loss of the vibrant 13-year-old, they don't believe Kimberly died in vain. SB316 will help save the lives of other children, they say.

"This is a very emotional time," Ruth Curtis said after Miller signed the bill. "This is a great achievement for Kimberly. We were her voice but she laid the path."

Her eyes welling with tears, she added, "Now Kimberly can save another life. There aren't many 13-year-olds that can say they got a bill signed into law. What a great thing to do with your life."

The whole Curtis family traveled together what Ruth Curtis called the "long, hard road" to get the bill signed into law.

George and Ruth Curtis said they had no difficulty in convincing people of the merits of the legislation they were seeking, but they learned a lot about politics along the way.

"It wasn't tough (getting support) as far as the idea was concerned, but there was some concern as to the liability and financial issues. We had to combat each one of those obstacles," George Curtis said.