When Hunter’s heart stopped beating, the clock started ticking

When Hunter’s heart stopped beating, the clock started ticking

All Hunter knows of the morning of January 2, 2020 is what his friends and family have told him.

The 17-year-old was at Franklin High School, the first day back after winter break. The bell rang at 7:20 a.m. Hunter was sitting in room C213 for social studies, first class of the day. His teacher, Ryan DePouw, was talking about the Pacific campaign of World War II.

8:02:59. Suddenly and without the slightest warning, Hunter loses consciousness.

For the briefest of moments, everything stands still. Then instincts and training kick in.

Ryan runs over to Hunter, slumped over in his chair, and checks for a pulse. Finding him unresponsive and not breathing, he shouts for a student to run to the administrative office and get help. Another student pushes the emergency response button, which causes a phone to ring in the administrative office with a special emergency tone.

When someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest and stops breathing, every single second is crucial. Every tick of the clock can mean the difference between a full recovery, brain damage or even death.

 8:03:43. Jordan Hein, athletic director and a member of the school’s emergency response team, arrives in the classroom. As Jordan gently lowers Hunter to the floor and assesses his condition, Ryan runs to get an automated external defibrillator (AED) from down the hall.

8:03:50. Five more members of the emergency response team arrive.

8:04:05. Ryan arrives with the AED.

8:04:40. As Ryan calls 911, another member of the emergency response team places the AED sensors on Hunter’s chest and they start evaluating his heart’s status.

8:04:50. The team begins chest compressions and rescue breathing.

8:07:05. The AED delivers the first life-saving shock.

8:09:15. Outside, the Franklin Fire Department pulls into the school parking lot.

8:10:01. Five firefighters arrive in the classroom.

Seven minutes. 420 seconds from the time Hunter lost consciousness to the time the first responders arrived on the scene — a remarkable response to a medical emergency.

Every year, more than 350,000 lives are lost due to sudden cardiac arrest in the United States. On average, if someone has a sudden cardiac arrest outside of a medical setting, they have barely a 10 percent chance of survival.

A sudden cardiac arrest is just that — sudden, unexpected. And while you can’t predict when one might strike, you can plan your response. That’s where the Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin is making a difference.

Around 2 p.m. on January 2, Hunter awoke in a hospital room. He has no memory of the incident — no memory of going to school that morning, of collapsing in class, of his friends and teachers rushing to save his life. Nothing.

“It’s still hard to believe what happened. It doesn’t even seem possible,” said Hunter. “I’m very grateful for the people that helped out since the situation could have been a lot worse.”

Though Hunter was discharged from the hospital on January 7, doctors are still working to determine the exact cause of the cardiac arrest. Hunter has always been healthy and active — he’s a black belt in taekwondo, loves to go hiking, used to play football. He has no prior history of heart issues and structurally his heart is perfectly normal. Additionally, a standard toxicology test performed at the hospital came back negative. Since Hunter was adopted from Russia when he was 2 years old, determining any potential genetic factors will take some time. While doctors expect him to make a full recovery, they have implanted an internal defibrillator to help prevent another cardiac incident from occurring.

The one thing doctors do know for sure is the quick action of Ryan, Jordan and the rest of Franklin High School’s emergency response team saved Hunter’s life.

“The education and training saved his life,” said Jordan. “We took action because we were prepared, empowered and confident to do so. It was pure intensity and chaos but no one was panicking.”

“Hunter’s emergency went as well as it did because we practice with the Franklin Fire Department. It’s extremely valuable,” said Lori. “We can’t thank them enough for their partnership. It’s a key piece that I’m really, really grateful for.”

At 7 a.m. on Monday, January 13, Hunter returned to school, ready to continue his life that was almost taken from him. Three miles down the road, Maddie was getting ready for another day, armed with the resources and tools she needs to be successful. And in thousands of schools across the country, kids were walking the halls with Adam’s eternal legacy protecting them.

Children’s Wisconsin, the Herma Heart Institute, the School Intervention Program, Project ADAM, the Franklin Public School District, the Franklin Fire Department — the impact of these community partnerships knows no bounds. And for Maddie and Hunter, and so many other kids, the impact is all too real.

“The doctors said Hunter was lucky,” said Scott. “But that was the well-trained personnel. There was no luck involved in saving his life.”