Quick Action and CPR Saved Seventh Grader in Cross-country Race

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Quick Action and CPR Saved Seventh Grader in
Cross-country RaceBy Diane Daniel, American
Heart Association News
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Memphis Zabawa loves playing soccer. Yet because
he has asthma, all the running can be especially
taxing. So, last fall, the seventh grader joined
his school's cross-country team. His first race
went fine. Midway through the second race, all
was going well, too. His dad, Justin a high
school teacher and soccer coach was watching in
the shade of a city park in Omaha, Nebraska,
along with Memphis' younger brother, Cruz. The
first couple times Memphis ran past them, he was
with a pack of runners. The third time around, he
was behind them. The next time, Memphis wasn't
with the group or behind them.
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As Justin and Cruz started walking up a path
along the course to find Memphis, the team's
coach sprinted in that direction. When Justin saw
the coach, he knew something was wrong. Memphis
was on the ground. His eyes were open, his lips
turning blue. His inhaler was on the ground next
to him. But that wasn't the problem. His heart
had stopped. He was in cardiac arrest. By the
time Justin arrived, two spectators a teacher
and a parent of a fellow runner who happened to
be a nurse were giving Memphis CPR. Justin was
able to keep Cruz from seeing things play out.
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The ambulance arrived and paramedics performed
CPR and used an automated external defibrillator
to shock his heart and regain a rhythm. At the
hospital, doctors confirmed that a severe asthma
attack had caused Memphis to go into cardiac
arrest. Because he was resuscitated quickly,
doctors felt confident Memphis wouldn't have any
physical or mental deficits. Still, his parents
worried. They felt better the next day while
watching a University of Nebraska game. Hearing
the song traditionally played when the
Cornhuskers run onto the field, a groggy Memphis
pumped his fist to the beat.
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Memphis was discharged the next day with orders
to follow up with his pulmonologist. Using social
media, his mom, Erin, found the people who helped
her son survive. They gathered for an evening so
that the Zabawa family could thank them, as well
as piece together the events. "They all
recounted their experiences saving him," Erin
said. "It was all so beautifully
orchestrated." The rescuers also shared how they
had been impacted, especially during the time
between the event and learning he was OK. Two
weeks after his cardiac arrest, Memphis' doctors
cleared him to resume all activities. A week
later, he joined his teammates for the final race
of the season back at the same city park where
he'd collapsed on the final lap.
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"He kept saying that he had to finish the race,"
Justin said. Justin understood how much was at
stake. As a lifelong asthma patient himself, he'd
been hospitalized three times in his
youth. "From my own experiences, I didn't want
Memphis to think that he has to live in fear,"
Justin said. On race day, Cruz insisted on
shadowing his older brother, staying in the
background and returning to his parents with
updates. On the last lap, Justin returned to the
hill where Memphis had collapsed. "I wanted to
see him coming around that loop and going down
that hill," he said. "I was proud of him for
wanting to do it." Memphis didn't run to win,
but he did finish.
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The next day, Memphis played soccer he's the
team captain. He didn't start, but every time he
entered the pitch, parents and kids applauded
wildly. Memphis doesn't remember much of the day
he collapsed other than getting to the race and
the first couple laps. But he thinks it's
important for him and his family to keep talking
about what happened. "My story can save another
person's life," said Memphis, who is a 2024
American Heart Association National Heart Walk
Ambassador. Erin and Justin have been spreading
the word about learning CPR, and many of their
friends and family have now been trained.
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"This is what my life's work is going to be now,"
Erin said. "It's not just about learning CPR, but
also about responding immediately. Don't wait for
someone else to do it. It might be too
late." Source https//www.heart.org/en/news/202
4/02/08/quick-action-and-cpr-saved-seventh-grader-
in-cross-country-race