LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington pastor owes his life to the quick thinking and emergency training of staff at a local elementary school, who sprang into action when he collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest in December.

Tyrone Vinegar was at Cardinal Valley Elementary School for an after-school meeting when he suddenly collapsed and fell backward, losing consciousness. According to a University of Kentucky news report, staff members including employee Christina Tipton immediately recognized Vinegar was in cardiac arrest and called for help from nurses at the school's on-site Health First Clinic.

"When he stopped responding to my voice, I checked for a pulse and could not locate one," Tipton said. "I have renewed my CPR/First Aid training many times, most recently this past August, and I was so glad for that refresher." The team began CPR and used an automated external defibrillator, or AED, delivering two shocks that restored Vinegar's heartbeat before the ambulance arrived.

Vinegar was taken to UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, where cardiologist John Kotter determined he had experienced an arrhythmia caused by a combination of a newly prescribed medication and an underlying heart condition called mitral valve preclosure. Because the school staff acted so quickly, Vinegar suffered no lasting complications from his cardiac arrest.

"This is something that could've been tragic, not survivable or had lasting long-term impacts, but with the prompt CPR and defibrillation from the team at the school, he's doing fantastic," Kotter said. According to cardiac arrest survival statistics, the median survival rate to hospital discharge after sudden cardiac arrest is just 10.4%, but survival in public settings where AEDs are readily available can reach 33.6% or higher.

Vinegar spent five nights at UK Chandler Hospital and was implanted with a small battery-powered device called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to prevent future episodes. He has returned to his role serving the Lexington community and emphasizes the importance of recognizing that medical challenges need not define one's life.

"Even with my heart condition, life is just as rich as it was prior to," Vinegar said. "I'm so grateful to be here. This gave me a new appreciation for life."