Mother forced to sit through entire Disney World ride with her son’s limp body after his heart stopped 20 seconds after it started
A Florida mother revealed the shocking moment she was forced to ride off a rollercoaster next to her son’s limp body after he fainted during the ride.
Christine Tagle said the dramatic episode took place on September 21 at Disney World Orlando, after her family boarded their ‘favorite’ Guardians of the Galaxy attraction.
About 20 seconds into the ride, her son Ernesto, 5, passed out and she said in a Facebook post that “I couldn’t wake him up the entire ride.”
The panicked mother said she “screamed for help” as soon as the rollercoaster was over, when staff members sprang into action and shocked him with an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Christine and Ernesto Tagle said their day out at Disney World Orlando turned into a nightmare last month when their five-year-old son collapsed during a roller coaster ride
Ernesto Tagle, 5, fainted last month while riding the Guardians of the Galaxy ride with his family, sparking a frantic battle to revive him
Fortunately, Ernesto survived the terrifying ordeal, which his parents say was thanks to the quick thinking of his mother, staff members, an off-duty ambulance crew and paramedics.
As Christine wheeled her son off the ride, she said staff joined her as she placed him down in a hallway and she began CPR, with staff also using an AED to restart the 5-year-old’s heart .
She said her husband, also named Ernesto, found a couple who were nurses and EMTs during the panicky episode, and they came to help when her son started having seizures while waiting for paramedics.
First responders arrived on the scene and continued CPR until Ernesto was taken to the hospital by helicopter, his father said in a post to Instagram.
After “test after test” to determine why Ernesto fainted during the ride, it turned out that he suffers from a genetic heart condition — catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or CTVT — that flared up during their family trip to Disney World.
The youngster suffered a medical emergency while riding the Guardians of the Galaxy ride (pictured), as his mother said she had to finish the ride next to her son’s limp body.
Tests revealed that Ernesto suffered from a genetic heart condition: catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or CTVT
Photos shared by the family on social media showed Ernesto initially in poor condition, with an array of tubes and medical equipment surrounding him as he lay unconscious.
But fortunately, Ernesto recovered well after emergency surgery at another hospital, and his father said he is “doing well, with no signs of brain or heart damage.”
He added, “Even better is that this warrior is already home and already asking to ride his motorcycle.”
In subsequent images, the relieved father shared photos of his son smiling from his hospital bed, and eventually leaving the hospital with a variety of teddy bears.
Ernesto’s parents said the boy is “doing well with no signs of brain or heart damage” as they shared a smiling image of him leaving the hospital
After Ernesto’s quick recovery, his father said he is ‘already asking to ride his motorcycle’
Both parents took to social media after the panic-inducing near miss to share their relief and thanks to those who helped save their son, and both urged other parents to get CPR training.
His mother Christine said: ‘My son lived because when his (now we know) genetic heart disease presented itself, we were at Disney, where there is an AED everywhere.
“My son is alive because we were at Disney with trained staff. My son lives thanks to this couple. My son is alive because I have undergone CPR training (parents, please get trained if you are not already).”
Ernesto’s father added in his post that he was especially grateful for the couple who came to help, adding, “Not all heroes wear capes.”