First Aid CPR AED | Choctaw princess finishes final leg a year after her heart stopped

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First Aid CPR AED Choctaw princess finishes
final leg a year after her heart stopped
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Those who know Mandy Steele say the things they
love most about her are her humble manner and big
heart. It was Mandys truly big heart the one
with thickened walls due to hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy that would lead her to a
death-defying experience as she finished the
final leg of a mini-marathon last year when she
was 18, just a few weeks before she was scheduled
to graduate from Haworth High School in
Oklahoma. Mandys heart had stopped, and she
went more than 40 minutes without breathing.
Doctors told her parents to brace for the
worst. They said that if she lived, she could
be in a vegetative state. They told us to be
prepared for anything, but that more than likely,
we were going to lose Mandy, said her mother,
Shanna Steele.
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Mandy defied the odds and this month ran in the
very same race in which she collapsed a year ago.
While she did not run the half marathon, she
completed her first 5K since nearly dying. Then
she hopped over to the other course to finish the
last leg of the mini-marathon from the year
before. Im pretty sure I was smiling the whole
race, Mandy said. It felt great. Mandy, who
serves as a Choctaw Nation District 1 Princess in
Idabel, Oklahoma, has no recollection of what
happened at the 2015 Vike Pike race in Poteau,
Oklahoma. Her grandmother Lydia McClure, who
drives Mandy to her races, saw her granddaughter
make the final turn of the 13.1-mile run. Home
free, thought McClure, who then headed to the
finish line to watch her granddaughter cross it.
Only Mandy didnt. McClure kept looking. She took
a photo of a helicopter that was landing close
by, thinking Mandy might like the helicopter.
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Race volunteer Twila Bickford saw Mandy just a
few moments after McClure had seen her. Mandy
placed her hands on her thighs. Bickford thought
the teen was out of breath. Less than a second
later, Mandy collapsed. Bickford rushed to her
side. Mandy wasnt breathing. I started
screaming, I need some help! I need some help!
Bickford said. Two race workers who knew CPR
rushed to Mandys side. I just prayed over
her, Bickford said. I never knew how imperative
those CPR volunteers are. McClure, who had gone
back to the turn to look for Mandy, soon realized
the person they were helping was her
granddaughter. They had people around her, I
couldnt get near her. I just lost it. All I
could see was her foot.
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The helicopter that McClure had photographed was
there to transport Mandy to Tulsa, more than 120
miles away. Doctors told the family the situation
was dire. They told us we needed to start
thinking about long-term care, said Shanna.
Doctors placed Mandy in a drug-induced coma and
used therapeutic hypothermia to protect her vital
organs. The doctor said she may never wake up,
that she had been dead too long. Mandy hung on.
Within a few days, the doctors took Mandy off the
drugs. They warned her parents that it could be
days before she showed any sign of life. Within
20 minutes, Mandy moved a leg. We couldnt
believe it, Shanna said. Within days, Mandy,
although still intubated, was dancing in her bed.
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Doctors implanted a pacemaker to treat Mandys
heart condition. She was able to graduate on time
from Haworth High, amid cheers and tears from the
crowd, and plans to start college this fall. Her
other heart that strong, gentle spirit was in
excellent shape. After months of rehabilitation,
Mandy was determined to get back to the race
where she had collapsed on March 28, 2015.
Despite being admittedly scared, Mandy completed
the 5K. Bickford was there to see Mandy triumph
this year. The crowd cheered under a blue sky as
Mandy crossed the finish line and began hugging
friends and family. It was so amazing,
Bickford said. You kind of think itll be good,
but it was more than good. It was beautiful. My
heart was overflowing with joy.
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