Doctor saves teen at Disney World, suffering from cardiac arrest

Doctor saves teen at Disney World

A 17-year-old girl on a high school band trip was saved by a family physician visiting Walt Disney World earlier this year, after she collapsed from a sudden cardiac event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 17-year-old girl on a high school band trip was saved by a family physician visiting Walt Disney World earlier this year, after she collapsed from a sudden cardiac event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Illinois doctor provides ‘life-saving magic’

What we know:

Dr. Jeffrey Schiappa, a family medicine physician with Premier Suburban Medical Group and a member of the Silver Cross Hospital medical staff in New Lenox, Illinois, said he was vacationing with his family when he saw a young woman lying unresponsive on the ground near a park bench.

"I checked her pulse, and it was irregular," Schiappa said. "We found an AED; Disney has them everywhere."

Dr. Jeffrey Schiappa is a family medicine physician with Premier Suburban Medical Group and a member of the medical staff at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. | CREDIT: Silver Cross Hospital

Schiappa, who had never used an AED (automated external defibrillator) before, followed the device’s instructions.

After administering two shocks, the girl began to move, though she remained unconscious. Schiappa’s son, Joe, and two bystanders helped perform CPR until paramedics arrived.

Teen diagnosed, recovering well

What Happened:

The girl, who was later identified as part of a Pennsylvania school group, reportedly coded multiple times in the ambulance and again at the hospital.

Doctors diagnosed her with Long QT syndrome, a rare and potentially fatal heart rhythm disorder. She has since received a pacemaker and is recovering well, according to her family.

"Thank God"

What they're saying:

"I’m so thankful we were in the right place at the right time," Schiappa said. "What we did was successful, thank God."

Schiappa later received a thank-you note from the teen’s family.

Despite the dramatic start to their trip, Schiappa and his family stayed at Disney for the remainder of their vacation. He said the experience has stayed with him.

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