A Sequim girl collapsed without warning during soccer tryouts after suffering a cardiac arrest. Two coaches — a teacher and a nurse — saved her.
SEQUIM, Wash. — Ashtyn Messinger has had to take it easy on the soccer field lately, after a terrifyingly close call just weeks ago that her mother says could have ended very differently.
The 12-year-old was at tryouts for a Sequim soccer team — a sport she had played for years without incident — when she suddenly collapsed in the middle of the field, unconscious and not breathing.
The episode came without warning, her family says, despite the fact that Ashtyn had surgery at just 12 days old to repair holes in her heart. Doctors had since cleared her for sports and normal activities.
“It honestly came out of nowhere,” Ashtyn’s mom, Charmaine Messinger, said. “She just had a checkup at Children’s last August.”
Charmaine continued, “My husband called and told me to get to the field immediately. Something was wrong. When I got there I just dropped to my knees. I couldn’t even look at her. I just begged God, please don’t do this to me. Don’t take away my Ashtyn.”
Two members of the coaching staff quickly jumped into action — middle school teacher Kelli Mishko and nurse Kelsey Chapman. Both are trained in CPR and lifesaving techniques. Their fast response revived Ashtyn before paramedics arrived. The two coaches were unavailable for comment for this story, described by the family as too humble to accept recognition.
“They said she’s not breathing, she has no pulse,” Charmaine recalled. “About a minute later Ashtyn regained consciousness.”
The girl was airlifted to a hospital in Seattle. Doctors note that irreversible brain damage can begin to set in within the first four minutes of cardiac arrest, underscoring just how critical the coaches’ swift action was.
Ashtyn says she has no memory of the ordeal, but she knows exactly how she feels about those who helped her.
“I’m really grateful they were all there to help me,” she said.
The Messinger family runs a local food truck business, Southern Nibble, and the medical emergency has taken a financial toll. Friends have set up an online fundraiser to help offset lost income during Ashtyn’s recovery.
Ashtyn now has a defibrillator implanted in her chest — a permanent reminder of the impermanence of life.
“It really does put into perspective that life is short, for sure,” Charmaine said.
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