A Somerset Academy High School senior's recent reunion with his saviors was a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of emergency training in schools. Eighteen-year-old Lorenzo Blackshear collapsed while playing basketball during P.E. class on November 30, an incident that led to him suffering a cardiac arrest, an event that could have had a tragic end were it not for the swift actions of his teacher and trained paramedic Andrew Vega. "I got there, checked for a pulse, no pulse and just started CPR," Vega recounted to Local 10 News.
Blackshear's ordeal was marked by moments of precarious uncertainty; his breathing was restored but consciousness slipped away periodically en route to the hospital. His mother, Yonette Stephen, was brought to a standstill when she first heard the news and later, seeing her son lifeless, she described it as "very hard for me," in an emotional statement to NBC Miami. After spending eight days in the hospital and undergoing surgery, doctors diagnosed Blackshear with a rare heart condition, definitively ending his sports pursuits but fortuitously, the teen's story is winding down a hopeful path.
Project ADAM, a life-saving program from Nicklaus Children's Hospital, has been credited with equipping the school staff with the skills necessary to handle such severe emergencies. The program, currently servicing over 200 schools in Miami-Dade County with plans to branch into Broward County, aims at preventing sudden cardiac arrest. "To see him sitting here right now is absolutely amazing; we are very grateful," Stephen expressed her relief at her son's recovery.
The heart-stopping fear of Blackshear's family banding together in the tense waiting hours is contrasted by the buoyant optimism following the successful intervention. Lorenzo is now expected to walk at his graduation in 2024, "Happy to be here. Happy to be back. I'm grateful," the resilient teen shared his sentiments reflecting on the incident. His family has since turned to the community, seeking donations to cover the towering medical expenses as they navigate this unexpected financial burden, according to Local 10 News.
