What began as an ordinary day in March for DJ, a seventh-grade student at Larkspur Middle School, could have ended in tragedy if school personnel had not rushed to his aid and saved his life.
“I just remember waking up in the hospital with my family and them comforting me,” DJ told WTKR.
The track athlete and football player was unaware that he had a congenital heart disease known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart. He currently wears a portable AED, but he will soon undergo cardiac surgery to install a miniature AED into his heart.
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“So, this right here is a LifeVest. Basically, it helps me if I ever do pass out again; it’ll give me a shock,” DJ explained.
Even now, DJ finds it hard to believe what transpired that day. He stated that getting dressed for physical education is the last thing he can recall.
It all started when DJ and his friends were running around outside during PE class, and he fainted and went into cardiac arrest shortly after.
Dr. Heather Hamilton, the PE teacher, explained, “He ran past me and kind of just fell to the ground.” Hamilton immediately contacted the school nurse, who administered CPR.
“I checked for a pulse – no pulse – so I immediately started compressions,” the nurse said.
However, the situation got worse as it became evident that CPR was failing.
“You could see the moment when the life drained from his face,” another school staff member said.
Dr. Tamika Singletary-Johnson, the principal, immediately sought further assistance when she noticed one of her students was struggling.
“We have a panic button at Virginia Beach City Public Schools on our cell phones. I reached for my cell phone and pressed the panic button so the emergency crews can respond,” she explained.
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At this point, security assistant Robert Toth recognized something was seriously wrong, so he quickly reached for the automated external defibrillator (AED).
“I grabbed it and got out here as quickly as I could. I was a sprinter, but I’ve never run that fast in my life,” Toth recounted.
Thankfully, DJ’s heart resumed beating after receiving one shock from the AED, and the concerned gathering of school employees felt a wave of relief rush through them.
“Thank God we train all the time. That’s the most important thing. It became secondary for us. We went right into action,” security assistant Michael Baker said.
Unfortunately, even though he is now well, DJ will not be able to participate in sports for some time to come.
“It’s very hard and challenging, but I’m just taking everything day by day,” the seventh grader expressed.
He did, however, thank the staff and teachers for their quick response in saving his life.
