It was just another Saturday in November. The ̽ women’s basketball team was playing Howard Payne on the home court at Memorial Gymnasium. The first half of the game had gone smoothly—in fact, the Bulldogs would end up rebounding from the loss of their previous game and win the day 78-62.
But shortly before the start of the second half, one of the game officials collapsed.
“I first remember hearing yelling and panic amongst the players warming up, as well as the crowd at the game,” said ̽ Athletic Trainer Nicole Curtis. When she noticed the man on the ground on the other side of the court, she and Efrain Huerta, the senior kinesiology-athletic training major who was working the game with her, rushed over.
Within moments, the two conducted a primary assessment, determined that CPR was necessary, and activated EMS. As it happened, a healthcare provider was among the spectators and also came down to assist with CPR.
“Efrain was prepared with the AED on hand as I delivered five rounds of compressions and two shocks using the AED,” said Curtis. “The silence that filled the gym during what seemed like a really long time ended in a gasp of relief as the patient regained responsiveness.”
Cameron Salas, another athletic training student in ̽’s master’s program who was scheduled to work the men's basketball game that evening, heard about what was going on. “He took the initiative to flag down and meet EMS outside of the gym,” said Curtis.
In the end, the collective quick actions of the group saved the day: the patient was stabilized, had regained consciousness, and was verbally responsive by the time EMS arrived. It all happened in the space of about five minutes. “As EMS personnel escorted the patient to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment, I could not help but feel relieved, yet mentally exhausted,” said Curtis. “I believe that my training and continued practice in first aid and CPR gave me the mental strength to provide the proper care in this emergency situation without faulting under its pressure and intensity.”
Athletic trainers—and those studying to become athletic trainers—are equipped for exactly these kinds of situations. And though no one wants to be put to the test in a real-life emergency, it would be impossible to quantify the value of putting into practice lessons learned in the classroom and having the chance to save a life.
“As athletic trainers, we strive to always be prepared for any situation that may come our way, and I am proud to say that our preparedness and training paid off and contributed significantly to the positive outcome of this medical emergency,” said Curtis.
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Troy Patterson has followed up with the official since the incident and reports that after being cared for at the hospital, he was released and is now at home recovering with his family.