News
A year after cardiac arrest, boy now has heart full of thanks
6:30 AM on 11/26/2009
A Florida teenager has much to be thankful for this week. Joseph Saintelus, 14, is going home from the hospital after surviving a cardiac arrest at school over a year ago.
Joseph describes the day he was in gym class, playing basketball. "All of the sudden, I don't see anything. I don't see anything like a black out."
Joseph's heart had stopped beating. The school nurse, Sheila O'Neil Brown, describes what happened next.
"Joey was unresponsive, so Mister Brown [the head of security] quickly came to my side and so I said we have to start CPR right away," said Brown.
A rescue team arrived later with an AED and shocked his heart back into rhythm.
Today, the cardiologist at Miami Children's Hospital and his mother, Corleitha Henley, gave all the credit to the school nurse and the head of security.
"His heart went into an electrical freeze almost, and the CPR kept his blood circulating and kept oxygen going to his vital organs," said cardiologist Dr. Nancy Dobrolet.
His mom, says she's thankful, "If they wasn't there I would not have my son today."
Initially Joseph was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, then Broward General. The Life Flight helicopter brought him to Miami Children's Hospital to repair the congenital problem that caused his heart failure. Now there's a small defibrillator implanted in Joseph's chest.
Joseph will no longer be able to participate in sports but there's something he prefers to play -- video games.
Doctors say Joseph should be able to go home a day or two just in time for Thanksgiving.
Follow theGrio on Facebook & Twitter!
Top Stories
-
UN slams Haitian hospitals for charging patients
PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) - The United Nations has warned that it will cut off shipments of free medicine beginning immediately to any Haitian hospitals that it finds are charging patients...
more
- Colorado Africans forced out of Wal-Mart jobs, claim discrimination
- Anti-abortion billboards claim black children are an endangered species
- Doctor pleads not guilty in Michael Jackson death case
- Actor Gary Coleman pleads guilty to criminal mischief charge
- First lady fights child obesity: 'That's the legacy I want'
- Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice become football Hall of Famers
- Obama's decline reflects the perils of democracy
- Sade's return is worth the wait
- The Super Bowl will unite people of Haiti and New Orleans
- Can fried chicken just be fried chicken?
- New jobs numbers, but same old story for black workers
- 'Soul Train' 40 years later: Appealing to Americans on both sides of the track
- Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher is 'Precious'
- Ex-NFL star Michael Irvin accused of sexual assault
- Lawyer: Michael Jackson's doctor to surrender Friday
- Soul music legend Bill Withers shines in new documentary
- Diversity reigns in Oscar-nominated directors
- Slideshow: The 25 most influential albums by African-Americans
- Obama to GOP: Let's talk about health care - live
- Move over Ray Nagin, New Orleans has new mayor
- NY Gov. meets with fellow Dems amid scandal rumors
- Senate likely to be less diverse after elections
- Justice Thomas: Some questioning of Supreme Court 'irresponsible'
- CA National Guard gets first black, female leader
- 'The Book of Eli': A not-so-new parable of burnt-out beauty
- Obama musical set to open in Germany
- Five things you didn't know about Kwanzaa (but should)
- Kool & the Gang gives rare concert in Havana
- Africans find unlikely education at Ukraine universities
- 'Fela' brings Nigeria to Broadway
- Bad malaria pills in Africa raise resistance fears
- Denver boy, 9, died after state-benefits error denied him asthma medication
- Among black girls, challenges of fighting obesity go beyond diet
- Obese African-Americans at higher risk of stroke
- Cancer victim sheds light on bone marrow donor crisis
- Hepatitis B and C often ignored as health threat to blacks
- Questlove explains what 'Soul Train' means for black Americans
- Tea Party movement lacks diversity, but unified in anti-government fervor
- DNA evidence exonerates NY man of 1976 rape
- Texas couple sells everything they own to help Haiti
- Cook defends fried chicken choice for Black History Month menu
- US Baptists charged with kidnapping Haitian children
- Aid groups struggle to get food, water to Haitians
- Mary J. Blige's 'Stronger With Each Tear' is a gem
- The 10 most important black films of the decade
- Alicia Keys' new album proves to be under par
- Happy reading! TheGrio's holiday book wish list
- Invictus: South African story has relevance for America
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Myspace
Flickr
Podcast
Wordpress
Linkedin
Last.fm
Tumblr
Identi.ca
Plurk