ALLEN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A metro Detroit family is sharing gratitude after track coaches at Allen Park High School helped save a young life.
On March 12, freshman Alyssa Atkinson was doing a normal warm-up during track practice at Allen Park High School when things took a quick turn for the worst.
"I just remember doing two warm-up laps and then doing our regular warm-up in lines, but that's all I remember from that day," Atkinson said.
Her next memory was waking up in a hospital with family by her side. The 14-year-old later learned she went into sudden cardiac arrest.
"I was, like, very grateful to be even awake at the moment, but it was scary to know that happened to me," Atkinson said.
FULL INTERVIEW: Alyssa Atkinson talks about what she experienced
It was a surreal moment, especially as Alyssa had never shown any signs of a heart problem previously.
"And she does her sports physical every year for sports activities in high school and middle school. So, this was sprung upon us and we had no idea," said Kelly Dolan, Alyssa's mother.
As Alyssa recovers at home, two Allen Park track coaches are being called heroes. We're told that after Alyssa went unresponsive at practice, they quickly performed CPR and used an AED.
"It got her heart rhythm back in place before the EMS arrived. Those critical seconds changed my life, my daughter's life, and it saved her life," Dolan said.
Being ready to respond during a medical emergency is something Allen Park High School's Athletic Director, James Victor, said they take very seriously.
"To know that all the emergency action plans, all of the drills that our athletic trainer and I work with all the teams on, was put to use and executed the right way, and it helped potentially save a life, it means a lot," Victor said.
Jennifer Shea, Corewell Health Children's Student Heart Check manager, says in the United States, 1 student athlete dies every 3 days due to cardiac arrest. That statistic makes knowing how to identify and respond to it crucial.
"The more time that's wasted trying to figure out if there's an emergency or what that emergency is, the less likely someone is to survive," she said.
That's why Corewell Health works with schools to help them prepare.
"What that entails is having CPR-certified staff, having a team in place that responds when there's a cardiac arrest, and practicing with that team on what to do. Along with the right equipment like AEDs that we're able to donate to schools who need them," Shea said.
Dolan said it's still unknown what caused Alyssa's cardiac arrest, but she's thankful for the coaches who didn't hesitate to help her daughter.
"How do you thank a person who saved your daughter's life?" Dolan said.
On May 3, Corewell Health is offering a student heart check event at Rochester High School from 9 AM - 1 PM.
Teens 13-18 are eligible to be screened, and registration is expected to open in a couple of weeks.
You can click here to check the complete list of heart check events.
