News

Quick-Thinking Teachers And AED Save Life of 12 Year-Old Girl

Frisco, TX, 10/10/2011

today.msnbc.com

 A Dallas-area seventh-grader survived a literally heart-stopping crisis virtually unscathed thanks to two quick-thinking, well-trained schoolteachers.

Kristen Goodgion and Brent Reese, teachers at Maus Middle School in Frisco, Texas, rushed within seconds to the aid of 12-year-old Kylee Shea after she crumpled in a school hallway Sept. 26. While Reese performed CPR, Goodgion fetched the school’s automatic external defibrillator (AED). They used the machine’s paddles to kick-start Kylee’s heart in a dramatic rescue caught on the school’s surveillance cameras.

Doctors estimate that without the rapid response of Goodgion and Reese and the use of the AED, Kylee would have had just a 3 percent chance of surviving her episode of heart arrhythmia, and only a 1 percent chance of surviving without brain damage.

Goodgion and Reese are now being hailed as heroes. Appearing on TODAY with Kylee and her family Monday, Goodgion told Matt Lauer she knows firsthand the benefits of the school having its teachers trained in CPR and use of the AED.
“(It’s) extremely important,” she said. “We get trained every two years, and that literally is what we fell back on. It kept us calm; we had something to (fall) back on, to know what to do.”

Kylee had no prior history of heart trouble, but was walking to class when she felt short of breath. “I sat down, then I fell over, and I don’t remember anything after that,” she told NBC’s Lilia Luciano.
Goodgion, nearby, was alerted by alarmed students. Within seconds, Kylee began convulsing and turning blue. “Right away, I knew I had to go get help,” Goodgion told NBC News.

Reese arrived on the scene just moments later. He told Lauer while Kylee’s heart had stopped, his was racing.
“When I saw Kylee on the floor, just a million things are going through (my) head,” he said. “You just kind of go into shell shock, and you kind of just reboot and we went back to the training.”
As the video vividly shows, Goodgion arrived at Kylee’s side with the AED. While the teachers were trained in its use, actually deploying the paddles on a living subject was a new experience. They hooked the AED up to Kylee and it began reading her vital signs.

“It told us to shock, and we both looked at each other in shock, like, ‘This is really what we need to do right now?’ ” Goodgion recalled.
Reese was only too aware that if Kylee’s heart was actually still beating, the shock paddles could do just the opposite of their intent — kill her.
“In the video, I reach out to touch the (shock) button, and I pull back just a little bit, thinking those exact thoughts,” he told Lauer.
Nontheless, the pair shocked Kylee’s heart. After a second attempt, the procedure appeared to work, with the AED reading “no shock required.”
“She started groaning and we’re still thinking, ‘Did we do this right?’ ” Goodgion said. “(But) it worked.”

Emergency personnel arrived and Kylee was airlifted to a local hospital. Doctors determined the 12-year-old had an undetected heart condition, and she was implanted with a pacemaker. She showed Lauer the scar from the procedure on TODAY.
Doctors told the family that if Goodgion and Reese hadn’t been trained and reacted as quickly as they did, Kylee would likely have been lost. And it was no less fortunate that the the state of Texas mandates that AEDs be placed in all state schools.

Grateful mom Sheryl Shea told Lauer she believes that rule should be universal.
“I think it should be a nationwide mandate,” she said. “I think every state should be required to have these in schools and public places.”

Health Club Patrons Step Up and Save a Life

Palatine, IL, 12/27/2010

triblocal.com

 All Steve Holland, 68, of Long Grove, remembers about Nov. 1 is that he stepped onto a treadmill at Midtown Athletic Club in Palatine, plugged in his head phones … and woke up at the hospital.

To fill in the hours-long gap, he suffered a cardiac arrest, stopped breathing after he was collapsed while exercising, and was brought back to life by one friend and two strangers, who now are being honored for their quick thinking.

“I’m very thankful to be alive, but that’s about it …,” said Holland, not one for the limelight.

His friend, Linda Kleiss, a nurse practitioner, was working out nearby and saw him fall.

“It’s just one of those stories that we all can learn from,” Kleiss said. And they have — several witnesses have since become CPR-certified and learned how to use a defibrillator, she said.

“I was honored to be able to help out and it was a fantastic outcome and that’s rare,” she said. “No, hero. I had lots of help. It was a team effort.”

Holland ran a mile on the track that Monday morning before getting on the treadmill at about 6 a.m.

“I remember that morning perfectly well up until the incident,” he said. “I was perfectly fine and I was just getting on the treadmill to watch TV for a while.”

Tim Kirby, of Long Grove, a regular at the club, was on a nearby machine watching ESPN when out of the corner of his eye he saw Holland, a stranger to him, “fling off a treadmill.” He yelled out “does anyone know CPR” and “call 911” and ran over to Holland. He breathed into his mouth while Kleiss did chest compressions.

“His eyes were fixed and dilated,” Kirby said. “I have never seen anything like it before in my life. He had no pulse and no heart rate.”

Within moments, fitness director Neil Wywialowski, who was teaching a kinesis class when he heard his name being called out, ran over with an Automated External Defibrillator. He attached the paddle-like censors to Holland’s chest, which instantly registered that he needed “immediate shock now.”

Wywialowski triggered the charges and after what seemed like forever to those around Holland, he began breathing.

“Neil showed up and pushed the button to administer the shock,” Kirby said. “It was like his body was reviving. We saw on the defibrillator he had a heart rate. That was very, very exciting to us.”

Kirby, a vice president of a software company and father of five, said he had trained in CPR while a youth basketball coach, but had never had to use it.

“You never want to see that happen,” Kirby said. “It is a miracle he came back to life.”

The Palatine Fire Department acknowledges the trio’s actions as exactly what is taught by the American Heart Association and is why Holland is still alive, said Paul Wallace, division chief.

“Good quality CPR and early defibrillation is the one proven treatment for cardiac arrest,” said Wallace.

Wywialowski, who has worked at the club for 17 years and said the defibrillator has saved eight lives in that time, said the accolade is “really unnecessary” and that “we are fortunate it was a positive outcome.”

“I don’t feel that I was hero. It is something that anybody else would have done in my situation,” he said. “There were a lot of things that went right here.”

About two weeks later, Holland had a heart valve replacement and bypass surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He’s now back at the health club. While he shuns the attention, he said he hopes what happened leads to more awareness of the need for people to learn CPR and for more businesses to own and train employees in using defibrillators.

“If some good could come of this … it’s just an issue there where people were prepared and the club was prepared and things turned out well,” he said. “If they hadn’t been trained and prepared, things may have turned out very differently.”

Girl Saves Sister's Life after Learning CPR for Babysitting

Sugarcreek, OH, 06/04/2010

http://www.fox8.com

Allison Wengerd, 11, and her 3-year-old sister Mya have an experience that will bond them for life.

The two were swimming with other siblings and family at a friend's pool last weekend. Mya was wearing arm floats and an inflatable ring, but took them off and jumped in. Minutes later, an adult spotted her floating face down.

"That's the hardest thing. We wonder, how did we miss it, all of us adults, we were all there it can happen so quick," Mya and Allison's mother, Melissa Wengerd said.

They quickly pulled Mya out of the pool. She wasn't breathing, so her father first turned her upside down hoping to squeeze some of the water out of her lungs. In a situation where panic can set in fast, Allison remained calm just as she had been taught in her CPR class.

"It happened so fast I almost didn't have time to get scared. It was so shocking I never imagined this would happen," Allison continued, "I got out of the pool and I was standing by watching and I said, 'I know how to do it, let me do it.'"

Allison and her father worked together. She gave the breaths while he did the chest compressions. No one knows how long they performed CPR, but Mya regained consciousness and started to cry.

"I was like thank you God, she's ok, it's like a miracle," Allison said, Mya spent the night in Akron Children's Hospital where she was observed and sent home. Days later, she is back to her three-year-old self, recalling how she got to the hospital.

"I'm ok, I went in the helicopter," Mya said.

Allison took the CPR class as part of a Red Cross babysitting course. She told her dad she would pay him back when she started babysitting, but her family knows she already has.

"We can't say enough about how important it is to take CPR, have your kids learn even if you think they're too young because you never know when it can help out," Melissa said.

The Wengerd's haven't been back to the pool yet, but they plan to soon. Melissa says Mya now has a new life vest with buckles and straps so she won't be able to take it off.

September is National Preparedness Month-Be Prepared

Sacramento, CA, 09/11/2009

http://www.newsblaze.com

California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) Acting Secretary Matthew Bettenhausen today urged Californians to focus their energies on preparedness efforts at home and in their neighborhoods during September, National Preparedness Month. "Understanding your level of risk is important, but action is required to save lives and property" said Bettenhausen. "Every Californian should be prepared to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours after a major disaster, regardless of the nature of the event - National Preparedness Month provides everyone the educational resources necessary to take that very critical step in personal preparedness" he continued.

Remember to:

Identify Your Risk
What are the hazards where you live or work? Find out what natural or human caused disasters pose a risk for you.
Do you live near a flood plain, an earthquake fault, or in a high fire danger area?
Are you prepared for an unexpected human-made disaster that can strike any time?
Does your neighborhood or community have a disaster plan.

Create a Family Disaster Plan
Your family needs a plan that tells everyone: where to meet if you have to evacuate; who you've identified as an out-of-state "family contact"; how to get emergency information in your community; and how to take care of your family pets.

Practice Your Family Emergency Plan
After you have sat down with your family and written your plan - practice it. Start by having family members meet at a designated spot outside your home - like you would after a fire or after the shaking stops. Know how to respond in the event of any disaster - whether to stay put indoors, or whether to evacuate your neighborhood by car. If your family needs to evacuate, know the proper evacuation procedures and routes as determined by you local OES office.

Build a Disaster Supply Kit For Your Home and Car
If you are stranded in your car or have to be self-sufficient at home until help arrives, you need to have a disaster kit with you.

Prepare Your Children
Talk to your kids about what the risks are and what your family will do if disaster strikes.

Don't Forget Those With Special Needs
Infants, seniors and those with special needs must not be forgotten.
Learn CPR and First Aid
Contact your [CPR/First Aid provider] today and get trained on basic first aid and CPR. Your training could save the life of a loved one or neighbor following a disaster.

Eliminate Hazards in Your Home and The Workplace
You must secure the contents of your home or office to reduce hazards, especially during shaking from an earthquake or from an explosion.

Understand Post 9/11 Risks
Disaster preparedness must now account for man-made disasters as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

Get Involved, Volunteer, Bear Responsibility
Donate blood, join a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), educate your neighbor, or volunteer with you local American Red Cross.

Defibrillator Champion is Saved by One Himself

Hurst, TX, 02/13/2009

Matt Sloane, CNN Medical Producer  http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/13/heart.attack.AED/index.html#cnnSTCText
 
Retirement hasn't been full of lazy days, rounds of golf and luxury vacations for Gary Terry. When this former telecommunications executive called it quits after a 32-year career, he took up an equally time-consuming volunteer job as chairman of the American Heart Association's Texas chapter.

Gary Terry says his being saved by a public defibrillator he'd pressed for was "divine intervention."

"I believe the Lord chose me to lead that group," said Terry, who lives in Hurst, Texas. But his "sign from the Lord" came, not in the form of a dream or a mysterious figure in his morning toast. Instead, it came in the form of a cardiac arrest by the security checkpoint at the Austin airport.

"I was trying to get back to the metroplex because I had a meeting the next morning. I reached down to pick up my briefcase, and I kept going."

Here's where the story takes an ironic twist: Gary Terry collapsed just 18 feet from an automated external defibrillator AED that he and his group helped to install just eight months earlier.

"A lot of people say there's a lot of circumstances in your situation that really are unique," said Terry, "and I say no, they're not unique circumstances -- they're divine intervention. And I truly believe that."

But the circumstances of Terry's experience are unique, because there was a defibrillator nearby, and somebody knew how to use it.  Watch more on the heart official saved by a defibrillator he pushed for

"When somebody stops breathing and they hit the ground, for all intents and purposes, they're dead," says Dr. Art Kellermann, noted defibrillator advocate and professor of emergency medicine at Emory University. "There are a few minutes where you can reach through the door and pull them back from death if you act decisively."

And acting decisively, says Kellermann, means following the four links in the "chain of survival."
The first link, according to the American Heart Association, is to recognize there's a problem, and call 911. Next, begin doing CPR, employ the use of a defibrillator and get the victim into the hands of capable medical professionals like the paramedics.

"Research has shown time and time again that you win or lose in a cardiac arrest on the scene," says Dr. Kellermann. "If you don't get [the victim] started before you start transport, the likelihood they'll survive to leave the hospital is less than one-half of 1 percent."

And statistics also show that if the chain of survival is initiated within 4 minutes, the chances of survival can be as high as 60 percent.

The good news is, CPR is easy to learn and the automated external defibrillator is remarkably simple to use, even without significant training. According to several device manufacturers, you simply place the pads on a victim's chest, and turn the unit on. Complex algorithms inside the unit's computer determine whether a shock from the machine will help restart a victim's heart. Once the machine determines that a shock should in fact be delivered, it tells the user to clear their hands from the patient's body, and press the "shock" button.

It's far less complicated than your average VCR, and almost impossible to screw up.

It's for these reasons, and the relatively low cost of a defibrillator that Gary Terry continues his crusade.

"I think this is part of the plan, and I think he wants me to keep telling people what a great piece of equipment the AED is."

And Terry says he won't stop until the defibrillator is as ubiquitous in public places as a sprinkler system.

"I'm gonna try to put AEDs in every building and in every house, and then I'm gonna hang them on trees." 

Mom's CPR Saves Toddler's Life

Boone County, IN, 11/10/2008

By Jennie Runevitch, Eyewitness News http://www.wthr.com

A toddler survived life-threatening moments because adults jumped into action with just seconds to spare.

It happened at a rural home west of I-65, near County Road 550 South in Boone County. The scene went from quiet to chaos in a matter of minutes when two-year-old Evan Pitcher nearly drowned in the family pool.

"Nothing could ever prepare you for seeing your own flesh and blood sitting there floating in a pool," said Eric Pitcher, Evan's father.

Evan and his father were playing outside when dad went in the garage to get a broom. He was gone just two minutes.

"And that's all it took," said Eric Pitcher. "As I got closer to the pool, I just seen him floating there. There was no ladder. He climbed the sides and got in on his own. It's a four-foot-tall pool. He's a two-year-old."

Pitcher dove in after his son, while a neighbor, hearing the parents' screams, called 911. Evan's mother Staci started CPR.

"He was lifeless. I thought he was dead. And I just kept pumping him and pumping him and breathing in his mouth," she said.

With their infant in their arms, still barely breathing, the family rushed Evan to the Boone County Sheriff's Department, where police, firefighters and medics laid the little boy out and immediately started working on him. Soon they heard the first signs of survival. Evan started to cough a bit on his own.

"It was kind of like oh my God, he's gonna be okay," said Eric.

Doctors at St. Vincent call Evan a "miracle baby." He's now breathing on his own and has no brain damage. Medics and police credit his mom's knowledge of CPR for saving the boy's life.

"It is so important for you to be able to rescue breathe for somebody, be able to give those chest compressions if you need to. And clearly, this shows it can make a difference," said Ken Campbell, Boone County Sheriff.

"I learned it as soon as I got pregnant and I knew I'd have little kids," said Staci.

"It was the right time, right place, right knowledge and right instincts," said Eric. "Grace of God. I mean grace of God!"

Coaches Work to Save Collapsed Student

Council Bluffs, Iowa, 01/18/2008

http://www.kcci.com

Coaches at a Council Bluffs schools used a portable defibrillator and CPR to save a student's life on Thursday afternoon, school officials said.

The boy remained in critical but stable condition Thursday night.

Council Bluffs school's spokeswoman Diane Ostrowski said this is the first time a portable defibrillator has been used in the schools.

"We're grateful to have had them in our secondary building for three years. You hope you have them for no reason, but today we used it and we're glad," Ostrowski said.

The freshman collapsed after running as a warm-up during a gym class at Abraham Lincoln High School.
The school said two coaches or physical education teachers performed CPR and used a portable defibrillator.

The school said the student is hospitalized at Omaha's Children's Hospital and recovering, but the student's name has been released.

Paramedics said that in a cardiac arrest situation, every second counts. Rick Benson, with the Council Bluffs Fire Department, said having a portable defibrillator can make the critical difference.

"The cardiac saves we've had were either because we were on scene right away or it was a bystander that did CPR and got an AED right away," Benson said.