A Sequim girl collapsed without warning after suffering cardiac arrest during a soccer tryout. Two coaches – a teacher and a nurse – rescued her.
SEQUIM, Wash. — Ashtyn Messinger recently had to take it easy on the soccer field after she experienced a horrific close call a few weeks ago that could have ended very differently, her mother said.
The 12-year-old girl was trying out for the Sequim soccer team — a sport she had played for years without incident — when she collapsed in the middle of the field, unconscious and not breathing.
Her family said the incident occurred without warning, despite Ashdeen having surgery to repair a hole in her heart when she was just 12 days old. Doctors have since allowed her to engage in sports and normal activities.
“Honestly, it came out of nowhere,” said Charmaine Messinger, Ashdeen’s mother. “She just had a check-up at Children’s Hospital last August.”
Charmaine continued: “My husband called me and asked me to go to the scene immediately. Something happened. When I got there, I knelt down. I couldn’t even look at her. I just prayed to God, please don’t do this to me. Don’t take away my Ashdine.”
Two members of the coaching staff sprang into action — middle school teacher Kelly Mishko and nurse Kelsey Chapman. Both are trained in CPR and life-saving techniques. Their quick response revived Ashtyn before paramedics arrived. The two coaches were unavailable for comment and family members said they were too humble to accept the recognition.
“They said she wasn’t breathing, she didn’t have a pulse,” Charmaine recalled. “After about a minute, Ashtyn regained consciousness.”
The girl was airlifted to a hospital in Seattle. Doctors note that irreversible brain damage can begin within the first four minutes of cardiac arrest, underscoring the importance of coaches acting quickly.
Ashtyn said she doesn’t remember the traumatic experience, but she knows exactly how she felt about those who helped her.
“I’m really grateful that they all came to help me,” she said.
The Messinger family runs Southern Nibble, a local food truck business, and the medical emergency has taken a financial toll. Friends have Set up an online fundraiser Help offset Ashtyn’s lost income during her recovery.
Now, Ashtyn has a defibrillator implanted in her chest – a permanent reminder of the impermanence of life.
“It really brings home the fact that life is short, that’s for sure,” Charmaine said.
