National Wear Red Day: Montgomery County student-athlete saved by CPR, AED

ROYERSFORD, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Friday marked National Wear Red Day, part of a campaign by the American Heart Association to raise awareness about heart health. That includes knowing the signs of trouble and also knowing what to do in an emergency.

For one local teenager, this hits home.

There were no signs 16-year-old Maeve Quinn had a heart problem until the day she collapsed. But thankfully, someone knew what to do and jumped into action right away saving her life.

March 5 started like any other day, but it turned into a day athletic trainer, Tracey Rarich and Quinn, a lifelong athlete, will never forget.

It happened on the softball field, the first day of spring sports 2018 at Pope John Paul II High School.

Rarich and her colleague got a call that a student collapsed. They grabbed a medical bag and AED, or automated external defibrillator and rushed to the field.

Rarich knew exactly what to do they started CPR and applied the AED.

"It analyzed the heart rhythm and advised a shock. So we did the shock, we did another round of CPR," explained Rarich.

And then another shock. When EMS arrived they took over.

Quinn's mother received the call no parent wants- meet them at the hospital, her daughter suffered cardiac arrest.

"I was just really worried she was going to be dead when we got there," Marguerite Quinn said.

But because she was treated quickly, she beat the odds. It took a year but she has fully recovered and is even playing softball again.

"I just feel like I was really blessed," Maeve Quinn said. "Just how things played out and everything kind of everything fell into place."

She now shares her story hoping to inspire more people to learn CPR. Dozens more teachers and faculty at the school have already stepped up. Research shows the faster CPR and an AED are used, the greater the chance for survival.

"I am so thankful for that little yellow box that costs us $1500, it literally saved a life," said Rarich.

Anyone can learn CPR, whether you are a health professional or not and the more people who know what to do, the more lives that can be saved.