A family and a school community are mourning the loss of an Atlanta-area high school volleyball player who collapsed during practice, and they are questioning whether or not a faster response from an ambulance could have saved the young girl’s life.
According to Atlanta News First, 15-year-old Amanda Sylvester died on December 5 at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex after collapsing during a warm up at practice with the Dream Chasers Volleyball Club.
Although first responders from the College Park Fire Department arrived on the scene quickly to care for Sylvester, who was able to speak at the time, College Park officials say the Grady EMS “never fully responded” to the emergency call, according to SI.com. After waiting over an hour and making several calls for help with no ambulance at the scene, Sylvester’s mother drove her daughter to the hospital in her van. Amanda went into cardiac arrest at the hospital, and although doctors were able to revive her once, they were ultimately unable to save her life.
When asked for comment, Grady EMS said that the original call was classified as low-acuity, meaning it was a non-life-threatening emergency, adding that while they were on their way to the scene, the College Park Fire Department determined EMS help wasn’t needed and downgraded the original call.
“While our ambulance was on the way, the fire department cancelled the response because the patient had been transported to the hospital by a personal vehicle,” the ambulance service said in a statement released 11 Alive.
In an interview with Atlanta News First, Amanda’s coach Catherine Murray expressed her disappointment in how the situation was handled by emergency services.
“We have precious lives in our hands, and we’re responsible for these precious lives,” she said. “We have to have a better network and system to protect these kids.”