Showing just how great the Yass community is, the town has rallied to donate over $20,000 to Tala and his family during this difficult time in their lives.
The quick-thinking actions of parents and bystanders at a junior touch footy match in the rural town of Yass saved the life of a 10-year-old boy.
Tala Teofilo had just sprinted the full length of the pitch, scored a try for his team, and was celebrating with his teammates when he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed.
His stepmother, Kass, told The Daily Telegraph that without the immediate response from his aunt and others who rushed onto the field within seconds to perform CPR, “we would be in a completely different situation.”
Tala’s heart reportedly stopped intermittently for five minutes. Off-duty medical professionals used a defibrillator while paramedics were en route, and the 10-year-old was air-lifted to Westmead Children’s Hospital. He is now awake and talking, but has been diagnosed with an anomalous coronary artery — a condition where one of the main arteries supplying blood to the heart develops in an abnormal position.
“Nobody had any idea something like this could happen,” Kass said. “He has been active his whole life.” Despite the shock, Tala remained in high spirits in the hospital. “He’s the kind of kid who makes you smile,” his step-mother added.
Tala underwent successful open-heart surgery on Wednesday. Surgeons safely relocated his left coronary artery, separated it from the right, and uncovered his valve. He is now stable in the ICU, with the focus on rest and recovery.
A GoFundMe set up by family friend Amanda Teofilo to help cover travel, accommodation, lost wages, and unexpected expenses has raised more than $15,000. The family says Tala has been overwhelmed by the support.
“He keeps saying, ‘Everyone is so kind because they don’t have to donate — they’re choosing to!’” the family shared in an update. From the bottom of their hearts, Tala’s family has thanked the community, the first responders, and everyone who has sent messages, donated, or simply wished him well. They have also urged the public to learn CPR, stressing, “It saved his life. You never know when you might need it.
LINK TO DONATE: https://gofund.me/bed822445
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