Homestead heroes save student's life

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - February 4th started like any other school day for Homestead High School senior Abhishek Chintapalli. But, the day took an unexpected turn for the 17-year-old near the end of his first period Biology class.

"I heard a lab chair fall, and I thought he had just fallen on the floor," Bekki Vail, a Biology teacher at Homestead, said.

But, Vail quickly realized Chintapalli wasn't okay. At first she thought he was having a seizure, but his heart was problem. Two students ran to get the school nurses and Vail called 9-1-1.

Maria Lund was the first nurse to arrive.

"He was face down and another student helped me turn him over," Lund said.

Lund knew Chintapalli was having heart problems because of how he was breathing, and she called for someone to bring one of the school's AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). Beth Quigley, the other school nurse, arrived moments later.

"I checked and he was not breathing and I began mouth to mouth recesitation," Quigley said.

A custodian heard the call for the AED on the radios some staff members carry and he ran the device up to the second floor classroom.

"The machine gave a shock advise and we did," Lund said. "His color improved and his heart started."

Dozens of staff members all jumped into action to save Chintapalli. Some teachers helped the paramedics carry him to the ambulance when the gurney wouldn't fit in the elevators. Others delayed the bells to the next period to keep students in classrooms and out of the way of emergency responders. People stepped in to watch classes and man the nurses station while Chintapalli was taken care of.

"For all their work I'm grateful. I"m so thankful and thankful to God for how it turned out," Chintapalli said.

Doctors said the outcome might not have been a good one if the staff hadn't known what to do.

"[His heart rhythm was a] flatline before the AED jump-started his heart. It saved his life," Dr. Jay Patel, a Pediatric Intensivist, said.

Homestead has three AEDs. One is by the nurses office, one by the gym and one is in the academy. Every school in Southwest Allen County Schools (SACS) has at least one AED.

"It's wonderful. Everytime you do something you hope the teachers will respond," Anita Gross, a SACS social worker, said.

Wednesday all the people who helped save Chintapalli came together to see him.

"For them to be so prepared for something I didn't know was going to happen was amazing," Chintapalli said.

For the Chintapallis it was a time to say thank you.

"I'm so thankful for them and I'm going to thank them for my whole life," Lakshmi Chintapalli, Abhishek's mother, said.

Chintapalli had surgery a week after he collapsed and he now has a defibrillator implanted in his chest to help his heart the next time the rhythm gets off.

While he was gone for two weeks, he even emailed his teachers to get his homework.

"Abhishek's a great kids. He's very intelligent," Vail said. "We couldn't have saved a better life."

Chintapalli plans on going to college in the fall. He was thinking about studying math, but now he's considering medicine.