The teenager's trip to the mall could have been her last

Sydney Ridlehoover had completed her chores and had convinced her parents to take her with her friend to the mall located near their home outside Columbus, Ohio. Once arrived, the girls got out of the car and walked in front of them laughing and chatting.

Peter Hubby, Sydney's father-in-law, saw him fall to the ground before even reaching the mall. He thought the 13-year-old had stumbled or was laughing. Peter and Tracy Elsinger, Sydney's mother, understood the opposite when she did not get up.

They rushed to his side. She was shaking and emitting strange noises of breathing. Tracy thought Sydney had a crisis. She turned the girl on her side and shouted for help as Peter called 911.

Moments later, a respiratory therapist who was nearby heard the noise and arrived at Sydney's side. She acknowledged that the girl was in cardiac arrest and started CPR. An EMT on leave also pbaded and joined the rescue. When a mall security officer arrived, the out of town EMT asked him for an automated external defibrillator.

The security guard seized the DEA in his truck and brought it to the EMT out of order. The DEA read a shockable rhythm and administered several electric shocks to stop the irregular heartbeat that had caused Sydney's cardiac arrest.

At that time, the ambulance arrived.

At the hospital, Sydney was sedated to allow her brain to rest for two days. Until then, doctors would not be able to determine the possible damage.

When she woke up, Sydney was unable to answer certain questions correctly.

"I went down and cried for an hour or more," said Tracy.

Doctors said Sydney's fog could take a few more days. And that's what it did. Soon she was normal again.

A cardiac arrest is an electrical disturbance that suddenly causes an irregular heartbeat and prevents it from effectively pumping blood to the rest of the body. But why would a healthy heart, aged 13, fall into cardiac arrest?

Although doctors have not been able to determine the underlying problem of Sydney, they have considered it as a type of irregular heartbeat called ventricular fibrillation. After his cardiac arrest, the Sydney doctor implanted a defibrillator to shock his heart if his rhythm was again irregular.

His mother had been struggling with an irregular heartbeat for over a decade. Tracy's condition was an abnormally fast heartbeat called supraventricular tachycardia. When her condition worsened, she underwent an ablation procedure and tried different medications.

Tests after Sydney's cardiac arrest revealed a genetic mutation – a mutation she shares with her mother – that doctors say could be linked to cardiac arrest. The family bought a DEA after Sydney's cardiac arrest. They keep it at home and bring it with them when they travel.

In the United States, approximately 90% of the 366,000 people who die each year experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital. CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a person's chances of survival.

After the Sydney cardiac arrest, her family received CPR training. The history of Sydney is presented as part of the training in CPR and DEA – a requirement for high school graduation in Ohio – in schools. of the region.

"You never want to have to use it, but it's such an important skill," said his father, Rob Ridlehoover.

Now aged 15, Sydney's life has returned to normal, with the exception of her new appreciation of CPR.

"A heart attack could happen to anyone," she said. "Just because someone nearby knew about CPR, I can be alive today and I'm always grateful for it."

The American Heart Association News covers the health of the heart and brain. All opinions expressed in this story do not reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is the property of the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have any questions or comments about this story, please email [email protected].