This boy’s life was saved by CPR – here’s how you can learn it too
When 10-year-old Tala Teofilo suffered an unexpected cardiac arrest, the quick actions of his aunt and others who knew CPR saved his life. Here’s how you can learn this lifesaving skill too
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
The family of a boy who unexpectedly suffered a cardiac arrest* while playing touch football is urging more people to learn CPR*.
Tala Teofilo had just scored a length-of-the-field try while playing with his mates at Yass in regional NSW and was receiving high-fives from his teammates when he collapsed on a bush footy field.
The 10-year-old was in cardiac arrest, where the heart stops beating properly, because he had a pre-existing medical condition that no-one knew about.
Tala’s stepmother said the fast actions of witnesses, including Tala’s own aunt, saved the young boy’s life.
His aunt and other bystanders reached him within seconds and performed lifesaving CPR.
“She knew something more serious was happening,” his stepmother Kass said. “She’s his guardian angel, she saved him.”
Off-duty medical professionals who were watching the match also used a defibrillator* until paramedics arrived.
During the incident, Tala’s heart stopped on and off for five minutes.
He was flown to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney, where he is now awake, talking and surrounded by family.
Doctors later confirmed he had an underlying heart condition that had never shown symptoms before.
The boy was diagnosed with an anomalous coronary artery* — where an artery develops in an incorrect location.
It is often not diagnosed until later in life.
“He has been active his whole life,” Kass said. “No one had any idea something like this could happen.”
The Yass community response has been overwhelming.
A GoFundMe* page set up to help with travel, accommodation and time off work had already raised more than $15,000 by Tuesday.
“We have been completely floored by the support. People have been so generous and so kind,” Kass said.
Tala will soon have open heart surgery to improve his condition.
Despite everything, Tala has been in high spirits, sending flowers from his hospital bed on his aunt’s birthday this week.
“That is who he is, he is a beautiful boy,” Kass said. “He’s the kind of kid who makes you smile.”
The family was preparing for ongoing treatment and monitoring as Tala continues his recovery.
After his near-miss event, his parents have urged families to consider CPR training.
“It saved his life. You never know when you might need it,” Kass said.
HOW TO LEARN CPR
If you would like to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR, a good place to start is by asking about CPR and First Aid courses at your school, community sports clubs or local Surf Life Saving Club.
You can also learn CPR by doing courses through not-for-profit providers such as St John Ambulance Australia and the Australian Red Cross.
While there isn’t a minimum age requirement for learning CPR at the Australian Red Cross, anyone under 18 should be accompanied by an adult.
Kids 10-13 must be accompanied by an adult at St John (Vic branch) but can attend without an adult from the age of 14.
First Aid and CPR courses vary in price across providers so it’s best to discuss this with your parent or guardian when choosing one. However, it’s worth remembering that learning how to save someone’s life is likely to be well worth the cost.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- cardiac arrest: an electrical fault in the heart that causes it to stop beating altogether or start beating so irregularly that blood can’t flow through the body to the vital organs, leading to death if not treated immediately
- CPR: standing for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR is technique that could save someone’s life if they have stopped breathing or their heart has stopped beating. CPR involves using chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breaths to try and keep blood circulating through the body
- defibrillator: a machine used to treat sudden cardiac arrest. A defibrillator (AED) detects if there is a life-threatening rhythm in the heart and delivers an electric shock to it to bring it back to a normal rhythm
- anomalous coronary artery: a rare heart defect affecting less than 1 per cent of the population where a coronary artery has formed in the wrong position before birth, causing problems with the way blood circulates through the heart
- GoFundMe: an online crowd-funding platform where people can raise money for various causes. The platform earns a small percentage of each donation made in the form of transaction fees unless the donor leaves a tip to cover cost of the fees
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QUICK QUIZ
1. What medical condition caused Tala’s cardiac arrest?
2. How did the actions of witnesses save his life?
3. Which hospital was Tala flown to for treatment?
4. Where can people learn CPR?
5. How can people under 18 learn CPR?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. How does it work?
Create a storyboard for an animation. The purpose of your animation is to help younger kids understand all about how our hearts work.
Time: allow at least 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science
2. Extension
Do you think that CPR courses should be free for everyone? Write a list of reasons for and against.
Time: allow at least 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.