A high school basketball game in Marion, Ohio took an unexpected turn when the official, Andre Johnson, collapsed on the court. Marion Pleasant High School athletic trainer, Joe Thompson, jumped into action, performing CPR on Johnson and saving his life. This week, that athletic trainer was honored with the Heartsaver Hero Award.
Johnson had been officiating games for decades, and he told Ohio Health Newsroom, “This year marks my 26th year officiating basketball games. It’s a great way to stay active. I always felt like I was in pretty good shape. I never thought something could be wrong with my health.”
Johnson went into cardiac arrest just before halftime of the basketball game. Athletic trainer Thompson described what he saw to the Ohio Health Newsroom, “[Johnson] fell backwards and then I heard everyone gasp. As I ran over a ton of people jumped in instinctively, ready to help. Everyone knew what to do.”
“The biggest thing is preparation,” Thompson added. “Always having a conversation before the year starts – communicating early about where the AED is located and having updated emergency action plans. AEDs are accessible on campus – we just acquired an additional AED outside the facility accessible to the public as well. We are prioritizing the safety of athletes and people who use our facilities – like the track.”
Johnson later made a full recovery from the incident, and on Feb. 1, just a few months after the incident, he was present when Thompson was awarded the Heartsaver Hero Award and the Heart of a Spartan Award along with several other honorees.
The award is presented by the American Heart Association. According to the award nomination page, “The Heartsaver Hero award is our way of saying thank you for performing the heroic act of CPR, a critical link in our chain of survival. We want to recognize the heroes that have stepped in to help save a life during an emergency.”
When nominating a Heartsaver Hero, submitters provide information about the rescuer, their role in the incident, a brief description, and some biographical details.
Said Johnson, “It was phenomenal – I can’t thank them enough. Everyone reacted the way they were supposed to. By God’s grace of mercy, I’m still here. The AED is the most important tool we have – it saved my life.”
