DETROIT (WXYZ) – A teen and her family are counting their blessings after the 14-year-old survived a terrifying situation last month.
On March 12, Alyssa Atkinson was doing a normal warm-up during track practice at Allen Park High School when things took a quick turn for the worst.
“I just remember doing two warm-up laps and then doing our regular program in lines, but that’s all I remember from that day,” she said.
Alyssa’s next memory was waking up in a hospital with family by her side.
The 14-year-old later learned she went into sudden cardiac arrest.
“I was very grateful to be even awake, but it was also scary to know that happened to me,” she said.
It was a surreal moment, especially for Alyssa, as she had never shown any signs of a heart problem previously.
“She does her sports physical every year for sports activities in high school and middle school. So, this was sprung upon us and we had no idea,” her mother, Kelly Dolan, said.
As Alyssa recovers, two Allen Park track coaches are being called heroes.
After Alyssa went unresponsive at practice, they quickly performed CPR and used an AED.
“It got her heart rhythm back before emergency crews arrived. Those critical seconds changed my life, my daughter’s life, and it saved her life,” Dolan said.
Being ready to respond during a medical emergency is something Allen Park High School’s Athletic Director James Victor says they take very seriously.
“To know that all the emergency action plans, all of the drills that our athletic trainer and I work on helped potentially save a life, it means a lot,” he said.
Katie Dolan says it’s still unknown what caused Alyssa’s cardiac arrest, but she’s thankful for the coaches who didn’t hesitate to help her daughter.
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