Katy school staff saves student with training by Texas Children's Hospital

Training in emergency procedures recently helped the staff at Robert E. King Elementary School in Katy save the life of a six-year-old student.

When Jeremiah Harry experienced sudden cardiac arrest while at school, his teachers and Principal Tammi Wilhelm jumped into action, performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator until paramedics could stabilize him.

Through their efforts, Jeremiah became the first pediatric heart patient saved through the Project ADAM initiative of Texas Children's Hospital.

Jeremiah had previously been a patient Texas Children's where he and his identical twin brother, Jayden, were diagnosed as infants with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The twins have long taken medication to help prevent abnormal heart rhythms that occur with their genetic condition, and this spring, pediatric cardiac surgeons at Texas Children's implanted cardioverter defibrillators in the boys' hearts to help regulate their pulse.

Still, ventricular fibrillation, an abnormality in the heart's electrical system, can cause sudden cardiac arrest, and immediate intervention with CPR and an external defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death. So doctors at Texas Children's made sure the boys' school had the training to help them in a crisis. In fact, Texas Children's Hospital is working with school administrators across Houston with the life-saving training.

Patty and Joe Lemel of Wisconsin established Project ADAM — which stands for "Automated Defibrillation in Adam's Memory" — in 1999 following the sudden death of their 17-year-old son. To help other families avoid a similar tragedy, the Lemels pulled together a nationwide partnership between medical providers and schools to educate staff and students on sudden cardiac arrest and the immediate action needed.

"Regardless of the experience and expertise of physicians, or the quality and technology of hospital facilities, it is all for naught if appropriate actions aren't taken immediately when an individual in the community experiences sudden cardiac arrest," said Dr. Santiago Valdes, pediatric cardiologist and medical director of Project ADAM at Texas Children's Hospital and associate professor of Pediatrics-Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine. "Every minute counts following a cardiac arrest, and the importance of quick, educated action by those surrounding the affected heart patient cannot be overemphasized."

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 20% of a community is in school on any given day, underscoring the importance of equipping school staff and administrators with the tools to combat sudden cardiac arrest. As schools have drilled students on fire safety and evacuation for decades, there have been no area deaths from school fires in approximately 30 years. On the other hand, approximately 40 to 60 children and adolescents experience cardiac arrest annually in Houston alone.