A Corpus Christi husband and a 911 dispatcher have been honored with the American Heart Association's Heartsaver Hero award for saving the lives of a pregnant woman and her newborn after a cardiac arrest earlier this year.
Ernest Flores and Corpus Christi Police dispatcher Linda Campbell received the awards during a Corpus Christi Hooks baseball game June 4 as part of CPR and AED Awareness Week, June 1–7.
On Feb. 16, Mikayla Flores, who was 34 weeks pregnant, suffered a cardiac arrest at home. Ernest called 911, where Campbell provided step-by-step instructions to perform CPR. Ernest performed CPR for approximately 5 minutes until emergency medical personnel arrived.
While en route to the hospital, an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used 3 times to help restore Mikayla's heartbeat.
At the hospital, medical teams conducted tests and scans to assess both mother and child before proceeding with an emergency delivery. Both Mikayla and her newborn required resuscitation but ultimately stabilized.
Mikayla and her daughter are now doing well.
"They have not only saved lives, but they are also inspiring others to improve the survival rate of cardiac emergencies by raising awareness of CPR," Amy Snell Canterbury, American Heart Association-Corpus Christi development director, said.
The Heartsaver Hero award recognizes bystanders for performing CPR, which the American Heart Association describes as a critical link in the chain of survival following cardiac arrest.
At the Hooks game, the American Heart Association provided Hands-Only CPR demonstrations and AED education and distributed CPR Anytime® Training Kits to more than 160 fans. The kits were made possible by sponsors Bayside Pulmonology, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi Athletic Club/Susser Bank, TLC Complete Care, and Turner Ramirez Architects.
Each year, more than 350,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States, including 23,000 children. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival. Nearly 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
A primary goal of the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative is to double the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest by 2030. To learn more and join the Nation of Lifesavers, visit heart.org/nation.
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