Payton Jones, 11, of Vergennes is excited to attend her Taekwondo class once again. She is alive today due to what her physician calls an “uber-save.” After her cardiac arrest at a swim meet in July, rescuers executed the Chain of Survival and the Four Phases of Care taught by the American Heart Association. Payton and those who saved her will be recognized at the Vermont Heart Walk as “Heart Heroes.” The walk happens at noon in Winooski on Sept. 30. (LYNN MONTY)
Earning a green stripe in the sport of taekwondo is an impressive feat. Payton Jones, 11, of Vergennes had to remember many kicks, punches, blocks and special patterns to obtain that rank. Having worked so hard, she was reluctant to give it up.
With permission from her doctors, she went back to taekwondo class on Sept. 19.
“She doesn’t remember anything that happened,” Cathy Jones said of her daughter’s heart attack. “It’s all been very overwhelming for her.”
Payton went into cardiac arrest at a swim meet at the Sand Hill pool in Essex in July.
Dr. Tim Bicknell, a parent of another team mate that day, and a physician in Payton’s hometown, started CPR and revived her. Payton gasped for air and regained a pulse, but kept losing it. When first responder Essex Fire Department members arrived, Payton became pulseless again.
Essex Rescue rushed her to Fletcher Allen Health Care.
Payton is alive today due to what Mark Alexander, a physician in Cardiology/Electrophysiology at Boston Children’s Hospital, calls an “uber save.” All of the links in the chain of survival were executed quickly and well, Alexander said in a news release.
Early Access (calling 911 and seeking emergency medical help as soon as possible), early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care (having paramedics and other highly trained EMS personnel provide this care) as were all of the four phases of her care, pre-hospital, emergency department, PICU and CICU were put to use in Payton’s rescue.
Payton and her family were reunited with the rescuers that saved her life in August. “We wanted to meet and thank them,” Cathy said. “It meant a lot to us to meet them.”
Payton spent time at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital Boston. Genetic testing revealed Payton has catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, a rare genetic disease, that occurs in 1 out of 10,000 people.
The disease is an electrophyiological disorder of the heart that is estimated to cause 15 percent of all unexplained sudden cardiac deaths in young people. CPVT’s symptoms most commonly appear in the first or second decade of life and are most prevalent when the body is subjected to intense emotional or physical stress. Payton had no risk factors and has no family history of heart disease the news release said.
Payton now has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, and is on beta blockers, but she wasted no time in organizing “Payton’s Awesome Team” of about 20 walkers for the Vermont Heart Walk. She’s raised about $2,000 so far.
“I want to be a nurse when I grow up because when I was sick I got to flush my own IVs,” Payton said in an interview at her home.
Her pets, Pumpkin, Sweetpea, Ellie and Zoey take turns sleeping with her at night. Her favorite subject is math, hamburgers are her favorite food, but pizza will be served at her upcoming slumber party in celebration of her 12th birthday in October. The cake will be chocolate with mocha frosting.
Payton, and those that saved her, will be recognized at the September 30th Vermont Heart Walk as the 2012 “Heart Heroes.” People can join her team and celebrate her life-saving story by registering at www.vermontheartwalk.org .
