PHOENIX — It was supposed to be a normal day at practice, and it quickly became a team effort to save a teen's life.
Jason, whose family is declining to give their last name, suddenly collapsed during basketball practice in mid-December and went into cardiac arrest.
"The day went from we will see you later after dinner after practice, to our heads spinning," Jason's mom Dee said.
Jason has always played sports. However, in 2019, he started complaining of chest pain. His parents went to get him checked out to see if something was wrong.
The EKG came back negative.
"And everything came back clear in the EKG, he was a healthy boy we were told," Dee said.
Jason continued to play sports until September 16, 2021. According to his parents, Jason went into cardiac arrest during basketball practice and collapsed.
Jason’s teammates responded quickly. They called over the athletic director, who used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to get Jason’s heart back beating. A PE teacher who normally would not have been in the building began CPR, providing vital oxygen to Jason's brain.
"They saved his life, no questions," Dr. Wayne Franklin with the Heart Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital said.
Jason’s parents would rush to the hospital to find their son unresponsive.
"We walked in and there were sounds that were not recognizable coming out of our son. He was writhing. There were five or six adults holding his frame down," Dee said.
“You're not sure what condition you are going to see your son again,” his dad Chris said.
Jason would be sedated for the next several days as doctors tried to figure out what caused a seemingly healthy 16-year-old boy to go into cardiac arrest.
"The days felt like years," Dee said.
The family worried about their son, wondering if mentally he would ever be the same. However, soon he began to respond to their questions, carrying out simple commands like "wiggle your toes."
"It meant the world he could understand," Chris said.
What doctors found was an issue with his coronary artery.
“In layman's terms, that means one of the blood vessels come off on the wrong place and can cause a heart attack,” Dr. Franklin said.
According to doctor Franklin, the condition impacts about eight in every 1,000 births. It can be hard to detect because symptoms do not always appear, and if they do, they may present as chest pain. Also, because the condition is structural, it would not appear on an EKG.
"It can be easily missed," Dr. Franklin said.
Days after waking up, Jason would undergo open-heart surgery.
Thankfully, the procedure looks to be a success. Earlier this month, Jason celebrated his 17th birthday.
“I feel great, I'm so thankful,” Jason said.
“Our son is alive, and that’s to be celebrated,” Chris said. "Jason wouldn't be here today without those people who acted courageously that day."
Doctors hope to clear Jason to resume athletic activities soon.
Full disclosure. Dr. Franklin is married to Today in AZ 12 News Anchor Rachel McNeill.
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