Eric Price’s instinct for CPR response kicked in when Skyler Nelson collapsed of cardiac arrest at West Jordan Middle School on Oct. 14.
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Price is vice principal at the school in West Jordan, UT, and had completed a CPR refresher course just a few days before the 14-year-old went down while jogging with PE classmates around the gym.
KUTV in Salt Lake City featured the story, including gym surveillance video, which shows how officials at the school responded immediately. They called 911. Special Education Teacher Lucia Evans tried to find Skylar’s pulse and Price began CPR compressions. School Resource Officer David Hood assisted with compressions until Skyler’s heart began beating on its own.
The American Heart Association recently honored their teamwork with our HeartSaver Hero Award. Skyler was also on hand to help present the award and, although he doesn’t recall much of the event, he is grateful to his lifesaving team. "I'm feeling fine. I'd just like to thank all the people who supported me through this," he said. Doctors have determined that Skyler was born with a genetic heart defect that had gone undetected and he underwent surgery to have a defibrillator implanted in his chest to prevent future problems.
The lifesaving incident has led to CPR training at the school. Jordan Valley Medical Center and its owner IASIS Healthcare purchased CPR in Schools kits in the past and will use these to train eighth-grade students during their health class on Dec. 8.
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