Unless there have been known medical issues, parents just donít think about their healthy and athletic child having a cardiac arrest. However, that is exactly what happened to 13-year-old Kaine Greathouse, as he competed in a wrestling match at Falcon Middle School March 5.Kaine Greathouse started participating in sports at age 5: football, baseball, martial arts: ìAny sport you can think of,î said his mom, Amie Greathouse. He had no visible or diagnosed medical problems, she said.This was Kaineís first season wrestling for the Pikes Peak Expeditionary School of Learning. He had been an avid Mixed Martial Arts competitor, with a passion for grappling. In February, he started competing as a wrestler and participated in matches two to three times a week. ìHe practiced two hours every day after school, and did fine,î Amie Greathouse said.On March 5, almost at the end of the wrestling season, Amie Greathouse and her father and two daughters were at FMS for Kaineís wrestling match. Amieís husband and Kaineís father, Kyle, was on his way to the school.Amie Greathouse was recording the match. ìAbout 20 minutes into the match, Kaine rolled on his side,î she said. Greathouse said she thought Kaine had the wind knocked out of him. But when Kaine didnít budge, people rushed to his side, along with Greathouse. He was unconscious and not breathing, she said. Some had speculated he had experienced a seizure.ìThe school nurse called 911, and one nurse, Amber Martinez, started CPR right away,î Greathouse said. The vice principalís decision to grab the onsite AED (Automated External Defibrillator) saved Kaineís life, she said. ìIt saved his life with one shock.îWhen the paramedics arrived, Kaine had been without oxygen for about four to five minutes, Greathouse said. He was airlifted by helicopter to Memorial Childrenís Hospital in downtown Colorado Springs.The doctor eventually concluded that Kaine had experienced a cardiac arrest, and they put him in a hypothermic coma for 48 hours. It was a terrifying time for parents Amie and Kyle ó they had no idea if there would be brain damage or if Kaine would wake up at all.After the doctors brought Kaine out of the coma, it took two days before he was fully conscious. Although he remembered nothing about the wrestling match, he knew his family and his surroundings, and it appeared he had no brain damage.A DNA test later concluded that Kaine has CPVT, a hereditary heart rhythm disorder, which usually manifests itself between ages 6 and 12, Greathouse said. The doctors implanted a fibrillator in Kaine, and he can still compete in sports but full contact sports are off limits right now. Wrestling is out, but light grappling is in. Greathouse said they donít know the full extent of CPVT ó itís possible Kaine will fully recover and never experience anything like that again.The likelihood of CPVT is one in 10,000, Greathouse said. Because it is DNA related, Kaineís sisters, ages 8 and 11, will be tested as well. ìItís a 50/50 chance they have it,î she said. ìI never thought this could happen to my kid,î Greathouse said. ìThere has to be more awareness about this.îAwareness is one reason she wanted to tell this story; plus, the family would like to update all the people who were at the wrestling match that day and thank all of the people who supported them. ìThe support from friends was overwhelming ó people brought food to the hospital, and friends raised $4,000 to help with medical bills,î Greathouse said.Kaine will attend Falcon High School this fall, and sports will certainly be part of his regiment.
