AED Training Saves High School Student’s Life

AED Training can make the difference in a life or death situation.  Recently, AED training saved the life of a high school freshman.  The following is the story as reported by WTKR news:

On November 28, 2016, Andrew had a heart attack inside a classroom.

He had a cough that day, but otherwise felt OK.

His physical education teacher, Amy Hunter, ironically, was teaching CPR as a part of his health class.

She realized he was in cardiac arrest, and immediately started CPR.

“All the stars that could’ve aligned, aligned the right way that day,” says Hunter. “I remember I kept saying to him come on Andrew, come on Andrew. I just knew I wasn’t going to let him die, I was going to do everything I could.”

She called in for assistance and the School Resource Officer, Master Deputy Jeffrey Charville, ran into the classroom with an AED.

“It’s one of those things where the training takes over,” he says.

Andrew was taken to the hospital and eventually transferred to CHKD where he underwent surgery to repair a heart valve, but he again went into cardiac arrest.

He was transferred to the University of Virginia Pediatric Cardiac Care unit in Charlottesville. On December 24th, Andrew received a new heart. As a result of his condition, he had to have one leg amputated below the knee.

Andrew’s mom tells News 3 that he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve with a stenosis of the valve. Doctors diagnosed the aortic valve as thick and hardened, which caused the heart to become enlarged.

They hope to have Andrew transfer to inpatient rehabilitation next week.

“Andrew is progressing very well. He is continuing to work hard in therapy, speech, and school,” she said to News 3 in a written message. “My family and I cannot express how proud we are to be a part of such a caring community.”

So the question is, “Are You Prepared when you face an emergency?”  “Do you have the right AED training to save a life?”  To answers these questions with a yes, go to AED training to find out about quality AED training for your organization.