Celebration Recognizes Responders of 13 year old Cardiac Arrest Survival Victim

May 21st – 27th , 2023 is recognized as National EMS Week, a celebration dedicated to honoring those men and women who serve their communities each and every day during medical and traumatic emergencies providing lifesaving care when called upon. Lawrence County EMS is honored to celebrate the dedicated emergency medical providers who serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the annual EMS Week Picnic, sponsored by Air Evac Lifeteam 110 – Lawrenceburg, TN on Wednesday, 5/24, attendees were honored to welcome some special guests to join us. Wednesday of EMS Week is recognized each year as EMS for Children Day. This is a day dedicated to the importance of pediatric specific emergency care and pediatric emergency education. During the EMS Week picnic, Alanna Owen, a 13 year old student at Leoma Elementary School and her mother, Mary visited to meet first responders who assisted in caring for Alanna on April 20th, 2023 during a serious life threatening emergency. On Thursday, April 20th, 2023 at 1:17PM, Lawrence County E-911 received a 911 call that a female student at Leoma Elementary School was unresponsive and not breathing. On scene, school staff and officials followed protocols to initiate a cardiac response with staff members and equipment responding to the student, who was found lying on the back side of the school playground. School response team and staff members arrived and found Alanna unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. The team began providing CPR and lifesaving care. At 1:21, just 4 minutes after the 911 call was placed, an Automatic External Defibrillator was applied and subsequently would provide 2 lifesaving defibrillation shocks to the patient, who was in ventricular fibrillation, a deadly cardiac rhythm. Teachers and staff continued CPR and providing care. Upon the 911 call, Lawrence County E-911 dispatchers received the call and began organizing a response to the scene. Within less than 1 minute, emergency crews were dispatched, and within less than 2 minutes emergency responders were en route to the scene from multiple agencies including Lawrence County EMS, Lawrence County Fire and Rescue, Lawrenceburg Fire Department, and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. Emergency responders with Lawrence County Fire and Rescue arrived first on scene and began providing emergency lifesaving care to the patient. Lawrence County EMS quickly arrived and began providing Advanced Life Support care. Lawrenceburg Fire Department responders also arrived to assist. Ultimately, the patient began breathing on her own and was regaining consciousness prior to definitive transport. A medical helicopter was requested due to the critical condition of the situation. Air Evac 110 accepted the mission and Lawrence County EMS transported the patient to the Air Evac 110 base in Lawrenceburg. The patient was transferred to the care of Air Evac 110 and flown to Monroe Carrell Jr Children’s Research Hospital at Vanderbilt were she ultimately was treated, made a full recovery, and has been released. Alanna since has returned to school and is enjoying life as a teenager should. The actions performed and skills exhibited on April 20th, 2023 no doubt provided this young lady with a second chance at life. A child lying in front of you not breathing and having no pulse would obviously be terrifying, but the teachers and staff members provided care based on their training quickly and efficiently. I am confident today that without their actions, this young lady may not have been alive today Each year, Thursday of EMS Week is recognized as Save a Life Day. A day set aside to advertise the importance of urging the public about the necessity of being trained in life saving skills, such as Hands Only CPR, how to use an AED, and how to stop life threatening bleeding. It is crucial that the public know these lifesaving skills and Alanna is proof that knowing those skills can save a life. Lawrence County EMS is honored to have a public education program that teaches lifesaving skills such as CPR, AED, and bleeding control. Anyone interested in learning these lifesaving skills or for more information about what courses Lawrence County EMS offers, contact us by emailing kwatkins@lawcotn.org or calling 931-762-3566

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