Highlighting: Elizabeth Nottingham

So I found this great article on Elizabeth Nottingham.  She is the athletic trainer at South Rowan High School in China Grove, NC.  Elizabeth is a 2006 alumna of South Rowan and obviously has a lot invested into the school.  This past summer, she saved a life, as many of us do, of a boy's soccer player.  In late August, she had to do CPR on one of the visiting players.  Even though she was calm and collected, like we are taught to be in traumatic situations, she admits that she was a mess after.  She also says that an AED on hand would have been a benefit.  She only was able to do CPR without an AED with help from 2 other people until EMS arrived.  Though the school had two AEDs, they was not readily accessible and she had to rely on CPR only.  One was at the front of the school and the other usually travels with teams.  So I guess one of the AEDs was gone, and the other was too far away.  Thankfully, this year, the schools in the district have been granted an extra AED that the ATCs can carry around with them.  This boy wound up being ok in the end, but Nottingham was questioning what would have happened if he wasn't ok, or if it would have been an even better outcome if she had an AED on hand.  Nottingham is very happy that the boy is doing well.  After the soccer game, the two schools played each other in football.  The soccer players from both teams came together that night for the player that was saved by Nottingham.  It was a great gesture by the teams to unite for the boy.

How do you all feel about your accessability to AEDs?  I know with both jobs I have had, I have been able to carry an AED with me.  I have never had to use it (thank goodness), but at least I know it's there with me.  Unfortunately for Nottingham, her's was not accessible.  I feel like that's a key tool that an ATC needs to have in traumatic events.  I'm glad she is going to have one readily accessible to her now.  It's tough thinking about not having something like that available to you.  I couldn't imagine all of the catastrophes that could be avoided with just one simple tool.

http://www.salisburypost.com/2015/11/27/saving-a-life-athletic-trainer-keeps-south-rowan-high-school-players-safe/