Mother's Quick Action Saves Daughter From Brain Damage After Cardiac Arrest

A North Carolina mother's quick actions saved her daughter from brain damage. On 5 March 2023, Keianna Joe, a 17-year-old teenager suffered a cardiac arrest while cheerleading at school. Her mother, noticing the gravity of the situation, successfully performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and administered an automated external defibrillator (AED) to save her daughter.

The 17-year-old later told the media that she has no memory from that day. She shared that she was told that as she was dismounting from a mid-air stunt she was reluctant to let go of her base.

That was the moment her observant peers released that something was amiss. They did not panic and gradually brought her down.

When Keianna was on the ground, Andrea, Keianna's mother rushed to her daughter once she found out that her daughter was in danger.

Mother Saves Daughter's Life From Brain Damage

Andrea kept checking for her daughter's pulse but couldn't feel it. That was when her mother realised that her training in CPR and AED devices could come to her daughter's aid.

A mother of three and a certified CPR assistant, Andrea started performing CPR on her daughter. Andrea kept the blood flowing throughout her daughter's body so that the chances of brain damage were minimised.

In the meantime, a person brought over a transportable AED to deliver electric shocks to Keianna's heart to get it pumping at its original pace.

Andrea was nervous about using it on her daughter for the first time because she had never used it on a person before. The machine said 'shock advised' and Andrea shared that the shock was missing during her practice sessions because administration on a person was needed for it.

Andrea opened her daughter's uniform and hit the pads for her daughter's chest. Eventually, after a second round of CPR and AED her daughter took a deep breath and started breathing again.

During her recovery at the Duke University Hospital, a cardioverter defibrillator was implanted in her heart to detect future heart attacks. The doctors lauded Andrea's timely intervention.

Both mother and daughter shared the story in the hope that people start realising the significance of CPR and invest in AEDs in public places.

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