Georgetown middle schooler survives nearly 45 minutes without heartbeat thanks to CPR

GEORGETOWN, Texas - Last school year, a Georgetown ISD middle school student collapsed on the field and a team of coaches, school nurses, and first responders fought to keep his heart beating for nearly an hour.

The people on the scene say this was a traumatic event, but they want people to hear what happened with the hope it can save someone else.

It was March 2024 when the Forbes Middle School football field fell silent. "Basically, my son died for 45 minutes," said Rebekah Hignojos, Isaac Flores’ mom.

He collapsed suddenly on the field. No one had even touched him. "Numb, it’s still something I can't comprehend," said Hignojos.

His coach was the first one to notice that something was wrong.

"I tapped him a couple of times, was trying to get some sort of reaction out of it, but I could see that he was desperate for breath," said Paul Gammage, the Forbes Middle School boys' athletic coordinator. "He started to have little mini seizures where he was arching his back, so I immediately pulled my phone out and called 911."

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Without a second thought, Forbes coach Liz Boyd started CPR.

"I've been in this business 20 years, and I've never had to do it before," said Boyd. "But I was thinking it’s not a dummy. Are my hands in the right position?... Just trying to make sure that I did everything correct."

For Boyd, it was one compression after the other until paramedics could arrive.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I don't think Isaac would be here if it wasn’t for those coaches who had started it before we even got there," said Jenna Whiteside, a Georgetown Fire paramedic.

Today, 12-year-old Isaac is a living miracle.

"Blows my mind every single day," said Hignojos. "He wakes up, and there’s nothing wrong with him. Nothing wrong with his brain or his heart. I don’t think I have the words–how do you say thank you for saving your son’s life? There’s just no words at all."

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Doctors still have no idea why Isaac collapsed, but they do know one thing: it’s because of CPR and an AED that he gets to rejoin his peers on the field and be a kid.

"This just proves how learning and knowing when to do it and if you work somewhere like a school or office building, knowing where your AEDs are," said Whiteside. "Truly those two things are what saves lives: CPR and an AED."

The Georgetown Fire Department offers classes on CPR and AED training. If you’re interested, email crr@georgetowntexas.gov.

Early next year, Isaac is attending the Ascension Seton Williamson Foundation Gala to help raise money for other families like his. Last year, the same event raised $600,000.