GREENWOOD — The family of a Greenwood eighth grader is thanking their school for saving their loved one’s life.
“He’s goofy. He loves sports. He loves his family,” Amanda Burton said.
Cory Tiller collapsed during a basketball practice on Friday afternoon, according to the Greenwood Community School Corporation.
“He was running a drill with the rest of the kids, and he went into cardiac arrest – basically he was running, and he stopped and fell to the ground,” Amanda Burton said.
Burton said that Cory is her nephew. She spoke to WRTV on Tuesday.
“I want to share this because these coaches need recognition and this staff needs recognition because they saved his life,” Burton said.
Greenwood Community School Corporation said in a release that coaches and staff members were able to quickly administer CPR and use a defibrillator, saving Tiller’s life.
“I just want to say thank you to all the coaches and staff that were there because if this happened at home when he was playing basketball with his brother, he could have died out there,” Burton said.
Cory remains in the hospital where he is recovering.
Dr. Adam Kean with Riley Hospital for Children said that sudden cardiac arrest is rare. He said the importance of knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED is vital.
"There are going to be kids out there who we have not yet identified, and we need to be able to respond to them and we know that getting an AED on the scene as quickly as possible into the hands of community members who know how to use it will save lives,” Dr. Kean said.
Burton and her family have this message for her community.
“We are just incredibly thankful, and I don’t know how to repay them. There is nothing that you can do. There is no price that you can put on a life,” Burton said.
Doctors say reducing your risk for sudden cardiac arrest includes regular checkups, being screened for heart disease, living a heart-healthy lifestyle that includes eating healthy foods and regular exercise.
The Indiana Department of Education says that Indiana law does not specify requirements for AED placement in schools.
If you are looking to become CPR certified click here.
Friends and family are raising money to help with medical expenses.
If you want to donate you can click here.
-
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson renominated for the next Congress
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, was renominated in an unofficial vote by his party Wednesday to lead the chamber's GOP majority.
Biden, Xi to meet in Peru as US-China relations tested again by Trump’s return
President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping were set to meet in Peru as U.S.-China relations were tested again by Donald Trump’s return to the White House with a vow to slap tariffs on imports.
President-elect Donald Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to be next attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump picked Rep. Matt Gaetz to be the next attorney general. Gaetz submitted a letter of resignation to the House on Wednesday.
2 dead and others hurt after explosion at a business in Louisville, Kentucky
Two workers were killed in a massive explosion at a commercial facility in Louisville, Kentucky, Tuesday afternoon – the same site where a deadly blast happened over two decades ago.
