KPTV - FOX 12Vancouver teen saved by AED

Vancouver teen saved by AED

Saved by an automatic external defibrillator.

AEvergreen High school teen is saved by an Automatic External Defibrillator after that teen goes into cardiac arrest.  

There was no sign or indication that Keilea Swearingen had any type of heart problems, but on Sept. 1 her heart stopped working and she stopped breathing.

It was only the second day of class at Evergreen when students were getting ready to roam the halls on their way to lunch, but in room 622 something caught teacher Bayley Lawrence's attention.

"To me it looked like she was having a seizure and her body was going through motions," said Bayley Lawrence, Keilea's teacher.

Keilea,14, had fallen to the floor and was in and out of consciousness.

Lawrence quickly went to check on her while a student notified the office and within seconds, school nurse Debbie Fowler was on her way to the classroom.

When she got to it, she realized Keilea's heart had stopped and her breathing was weak.

"So I get her in a sideline position and I could tell as soon as I turned her over her face was purple," said Debbie Fowler, the school nurse.

As someone called 911 another staff member had grabbed the Automatic External Defibrillator and put it to use.

Fowler then started CPR, trying to keep Keilea alive as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

At the same time, Keilea's mom was notified.

"When I got there they didn't tell me everything and I walked into the situation seeing my daughter unresponsive on the ground," said Crystal Swearingen, Keilea's mom.

Keilea was taken to the hospital where she was in a medically induced coma.

But to everyone's surprise she had enough after 36 hours and that's when she woke up.

"I think it's pretty amazing the whole chain. If one thing didn't happen it could have ended differently," said Keilea Swearingen, "So I think I'm very, very lucky."

Keilea has always been very active and played a lot of sports.

Her mom calls her a fighter and a stubborn teen so it wasn't too much of a surprise that after only six days in the hospital, Keilea was going home.

A few days later, she was back at school.

"The nurse and her teacher, they responded very quickly and it couldn't have gone any better," said Crystal.

When she returned to school it was very emotional day for those involved.

"When I went to hug her is when I realized the last time I had touched her I didn't think she was going to make it," said Fowler.

Keilea has to wear a vest that monitors her heart rate and provides an electric shock if she needs it.

She's staying optimistic.

"My parents are supportive and I keep things in perspective. I mean it could be much worse I could not even be here," said Keilea.

The Swearingens can't stress enough how that AED saved her life.

They're now trying to push for student athlete's to get heart screens and catch any potential problems before it's too late.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, Peace Health Medical Center and the Quinn Driscoll Foundation are offering heart screenings for student athletes in ClarkCounty.

Registration is required. To schedule a student heart screening, call 360.514.1707 or register online at www.swHeartCheck.orghttp://www.swHeartCheck.org.  A suggested $25 donation to the Quinn Driscoll Foundation is appreciated to support future screening events.

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