Staff at a South Edmonton Catholic school are being credited with saving a student’s life after a medical emergency on the playground.
During recess last week at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, a student went into sudden cardiac arrest. Physical education teacher Eric Motut and educational assistant Ainsley Dillon rushed to help as other staff cleared students from the area and called 911.
Motut and Dillon began CPR immediately and continued chest compressions for about 11 minutes while waiting for paramedics to arrive. They also retrieved the school’s automated external defibrillator (AED) and delivered two shocks before handing care over to EMS.
The student was rushed to hospital and is now recovering. Staff say families have been updated and the school community is focusing on support and privacy for the child and their loved ones.
In a rare move, the emergency room doctor who treated the student later phoned principal Gomez personally. The doctor did not call to request records or forms, but simply to thank the school. The fast, coordinated response by staff, the doctor said, was critical and “made all the difference” in the student’s outcome.
