A mother of three recalled her ordeal after saving the life of her 17-year-old daughter when the teen went into cardiac arrest during a warm-up for a cheerleading competition.
Keianna Joe had been preparing for the event in Raleigh, North Carolina, earlier this month when she suddenly collapsed and became unresponsive.
Her mother, Andrea, a certified physician assistant who works in a gynecology office, sprang into action and began performing CPR for nearly 10 minutes after failing to find her daughter’s pulse.
Eventually, he was able to restart Keianna’s heart and doctors claimed his quick thinking saved the teen’s life.
Keianna Joe (pictured in hospital) had been preparing for a cheerleading competition earlier this month when she collapsed and became unresponsive.
The 17-year-old suffered cardiac arrest during a warm-up for the event in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Mom Andrea, who is a Certified Physician Assistant working in a GYN office, sprang into action and began performing CPR for almost 10 minutes.
In a GoFundMe campaign set up on March 6 to cover Keianna’s medical bills, her aunt explained the ordeal in shocking detail.
He says, “(Keianna) was coming down from a stunt when her teammates noticed she was acting ‘weird’.
“She was carried safely to the ground when her trainer noticed that her muscles were flexing and her eyes were rolling.
“Keianna was having a seizure and was not breathing.”
Elaborating on an interview with TODAYwhich aired on March 15, Andrea recalled how her daughter’s coach ‘screamed’ for an ambulance before she intervened.
She said: ‘I just took control. I know CPR, I know how to do this. This is my baby and I have to save her.
“I was like, ‘Come on, Keianna. Come on. We’re not going to do this. We’re not going to do this today.’
“The sight of her lying there, not moving, not breathing, not responding, was the most terrifying moment of my life.”
The teen was rushed to the hospital and temporarily placed in an induced coma in the pediatric intensive care unit while doctors continued to run tests.
Keianna, who said she felt ‘blessed’, had a small defibrillator implanted in her chest and spent 10 days recovering in hospital.
Andrea said: “The sight of her lying there, not moving, not breathing, not responding, was the most terrifying moment of my life.”
Then the competition staff brought in a portable defibrillator and the group was finally able to restart Keianna’s heart.
The teen was rushed to the hospital and temporarily placed in an induced coma in the pediatric intensive care unit while doctors continued to run tests.
Keianna was then transferred to Duke Medical in Durham, which specializes in cardiology, where a small defibrillator was implanted in her chest.
The device, placed under the skin next to the clavicle, will now be able to detect arrhythmias and stop them using electrical shocks if necessary to restore a regular heartbeat.
Her doctor, Dr. Zeb Spector, told the outlet that it was Andrea’s actions that undoubtedly “saved her life.”
Keianna, who said she felt “blessed,” spent 10 days recovering in hospital before returning home.
Andrea has said that the young woman “is struggling to accept the news that Cheer and Track have ended for her, as they were her true passion.”
Keianna’s doctor, Dr. Zeb Spector, told the outlet that it was Andrea’s actions that undoubtedly “saved her life.”
Her mother has said that the youngster “is struggling to come to terms with the news that Cheer and Track have ended for her as they were her true passion.”
But she continues to go from strength to strength in her recovery.
Andrea is now campaigning for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be installed in schools across the state.
North Carolina is one of many US states that currently does not require AEDs in schools or gyms, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.
Andrea told the News and Observer: ‘I didn’t realize there are so many states where AEDs are not required in schools, and North Carolina is one of them.
“It’s a miracle that the school in Raleigh had one and was running.”
In her most recent Facebook post, Andrea added: ‘I have learned a lot in this tragedy. I hope your story saves someone else’s life one day.
