She’s only 8 years old, but Abigail Lopez, of Island Park, is already a heartsaver...

The third grader at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School completed the American Heart Association’s Adult CPR AED program earlier this month in Freeport — one of the youngest to do so.

"If somebody collapses and is unresponsive, not breathing or gasping for air, I can save a life," she told Newsday in a phone interview.

National American Heart Association officials said they don’t track cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications by age, but they praised Abigail for being "a strong little girl" learning to save lives.

"We don’t have an age limit on certifications as long as the person can perform the skills correctly and pass the test," said Alyson Elliot, AHA CPR instructor and director of

See Full Page