Soccer Cardiac Arrest

Russ King
2023-05-04T00:00:00-04:00

An 11-year-old soccer player is making a full recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest in January.
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Soccer Cardaiac Arrest

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AUSTIN, Texas — An 11-year-old soccer player is making a full recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest in January.

Sabine Barrett was playing soccer on Jan. 19 when she collapsed on the field.

“She felt winded, her chest hurt. She couldn’t see well, she couldn’t hear well, and we calmed her down and eventually returned. And she put her arms around me and said, ‘I am dizzy,’ and she collapsed,” said father Dan Barrett.

Her father, who was with her at the time, called Lone Star Soccer Club coach Nic Snyder for help. Snyder administered CPR while Sabine’s father called 911.

“It was intense, and I think Dan of course as father was very emotional. We started chest compressions and did compressions until the fire department showed up,” said Synder.

Once medics from Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS), firefighters from the Austin Fire Department and officers from the Austin Police Department arrived on scene, they took over resuscitative efforts.

After 22 minutes, Sabine’s heartbeat returned and she was taken by Travis County STAR Flight to Dell Children’s Medical Center for further treatment.

“At 22 minutes, 22 minutes after Sabine dropped to the ground, her heart started again,” said ATCEMS assistant chief Michael Wright.

Medical officials determined that Sabine suffered a cardiac arrest due to a rare congenital heart disease called coronary artery anomaly. This type of defect is the second-leading cause of death in young athletes, according to ATCEMS.

Sabine underwent open-heart surgery on Jan. 20. Dr. Carlos M. Mery – a pediatric congenital heart surgeon at Dell Children’s and the associate chief of pediatric and congenital cardiothoracic surgery for the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease – performed the surgery, along with his cardiac care team.

“We stopped the heart, after connecting her to heart-lung machine, stopped the heart, opened the aorta and divided the coronary coming out of the incorrect side, and put it on the correct side and restarted the heart,” said Dr. Mery.

Almost a month after the surgery, Sabine is now out of the hospital and on her way to a full recovery.

“I want to say thank you everyone who helped me be here today, and I am really thankful to everyone,” said Sabine

Her parents are grateful too.

“It feels like a miracle. We feel so fortunate and thankful for her to be here today,” said mother Ginny Barrett. “We are speechless. She is a miracle kid, and so thankful to have Sabine. Thanks to the Austin community,” said Dan Barrett.

Sabine has big plans for the future.“I want to be on the women’s national soccer team,” she said.