Submitted by SCAFoundation on Mon, 04/29/2013 - 5:27pm

Mother’s day will mark the first anniversary of 15-year-old Adam Afromsky’s sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Last year, Adam Afromsky was playing in his soccer team’s State Cup semi-finals, when he collapsed on the field. Trainers, coaches and spectators thought he was having a seizure. However, a CPR & AED trained bystander happened to be close by and immediately recognized the signs of SCA . 911 was called and bystander CPR was performed for five minutes until EMS crews arrived. On arrival, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue shocked Adam twice with an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restart his heart. He was transported to Summerlin Medical center for emergency care. 

Doctors were unable to find anything wrong with Adam’s heart. He now has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and has resumed all normal teenage activity. Adam will be competing in the State Cup Soccer championship again this year.

Adam’s mother Melanie Afromsky is grateful her son is alive thanks to the quick response from the trained bystander and the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. She is aware that precious minutes could have cost Adam his life and is hoping no other young athlete has to go through what Adam did...or worse lose their life. Melanie is working to get AEDs at youth sporting events, get coaches who work with youth sports CPR and AED certified, and to help raise awareness of SCA.

SCA is the number one cause of death in the United States. The Heart Rhythm Society estimates that 5,000-7,000 youth in the U.S. die from SCA each year. SCA is a condition in which the heart suddenly stops beating. When SCA occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain, the heart, and the rest of the body, and the person collapses. In fact, the victim is clinically dead and will remain so unless someone helps immediately. SCA usually causes death if it's not treated within minutes. Adam was lucky because all of the critical steps in the “Chain of Survival” – early access, early CPR and early defibrillation, happened in a timely manner. 

SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun

Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/community/press-releases/2378/#ixzz2RtEBAMLC