FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A teen who suffered a cardiac arrest back in July is reunited with the good Samaritans who helped save his life.
13-year-old David Dieurestil was in the middle of basketball practice at the YMCA in Fort Lauderdale on July 16th, when he suddenly collapsed passing out.
“Our second scrimmage game, and i kind of felt like a little bit lightheaded, but i was also sweating a lot, but it was pretty normal, Then, i just woke up and I was on the ground,” said David.
What had initially appeared to be a seizure quickly escalated into a medical emergency.
Fortunately, two bystanders, Dr. Ayisha Livingstone a Broward Health Surgeon and Nadege Blanc a nurse practitioner from Memorial Regional, jumped in immediately.
“And he was actively seizing on the floor, so we jumped out of the bleachers,” said Dr. Livingstone. “And then right before our eyes, David just he left, he went.”
“I immediately started doing chest compressions,” said Blanc.
With the help of CPR and an on-site defibrillator the two good Samaritans were able to resuscitate David’s heart.
According to doctors David suffered an acute cardiac arrest caused by an underlying heart condition.
“They was there responding right away, you know, without them, my son wouldn’t be here, so I thank them so much,” said Michael Dieurestil, David’s father.
David being one of the very few to survive a sudden cardiac arrest.
“A quick action of this that really made the difference here in particularly in David’s case, you truly are one in a million,” said Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Thomas Forbes.
David, his dad, and his first responders celebrated his second chance at life,
Even Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, while not able to make it, heard David’s story and recognized his passion for the sport with a personalized autograph.
David will one day return to the court with his doctor’s approval.
“God bless them for what they did, what they helped me, helped me and my family,” said David.
And doctors Monday, stressing the importance of screening even in children with EKG’s, hopefully David will be back on the court come next summer.
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