NEW LENOX, Ill. — A family vacation to Disney World turned into a life-or-death emergency when a local Illinois physician helped save a teenage girl who collapsed at a Florida theme park.
Dr. Jeffrey Schiappa, a family medicine doctor affiliated with Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and part of Premier Suburban Medical Group, was at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when he noticed something was wrong. A group of teenage girls were visibly upset on a nearby bench — and one of them was lying unresponsive on the ground.
“I checked her pulse, and it was irregular,” said Schiappa, who was on vacation with his family. “We found an AED; Disney has them everywhere.”
AED Use Helped Restart Teen’s Heart
Although he had never used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) before, Dr. Schiappa followed its step-by-step instructions.
“I shocked her once, her body jumped, but nothing happened. The device told me to shock her again, and this time she started moving,” he recalled.
While paramedics arrived on the scene, Dr. Schiappa’s son Joe spoke to the girl’s peers, learning that they were visiting from Pennsylvania on a school band trip. Her parents were contacted immediately. They told the group that she had no known medical conditions and wasn’t on any prescription medication.
Later, the doctor learned from emergency personnel that the girl “coded twice more in the ambulance and again at the hospital,” underscoring how critical that initial AED intervention was to her survival.
Teen Diagnosed with Serious Heart Condition
Doctors later determined that the 17-year-old was suffering from Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) — a potentially fatal heart rhythm disorder that can lead to sudden and erratic heartbeat patterns. LQTS interferes with the heart’s electrical system, and if untreated, it can result in sudden cardiac arrest.
She was eventually stabilized and had a pacemaker implanted at the hospital. Dr. Schiappa later received a message from the teen’s grateful parents.
“If this had happened when she was away at college after graduation, she could have died,” he said. “The same could have happened if I hadn’t noticed the crowd around her.”
The full incident was reported by WGN and MyStateline, detailing Schiappa’s heroic actions.
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Back to Vacation — With Gratitude
Though Schiappa and his family were eventually able to continue their vacation, he admitted the moment stayed with him.
“What we did was successful, thank God,” he said.
His quick thinking — and presence of mind to use an AED — may have made all the difference between tragedy and recovery.
Have you or someone you know ever witnessed a public health emergency like this? Share your story in the comments on ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
