East Carolina University track and field athlete Hailey Yentz died for ten minutes and came back to life last week. Recently, Yentz shared her story on the WITN Channel.
The 21-year-old student of East Carolina University, Hailey Yentz, has come forward with her miracle story and wants the world to know the importance of CPR training.
In her appearance on the WITN Channel, Hailey shared what happened on the day she almost lost her life.
On February 10, Hailey was doing her regular workout with the track and field team at East Carolina University.
As she was training, Yentz collapsed, and suddenly, the world turned black for the athlete.
Speaking to WITN Channel, Yentz said, “The doctor said, I died, which means I had no pulse and I was down for ten minutes.”
At the time, Yentz was lifting weights in the Murphy Center. She was lucky that the trainers and coaches were nearby and immediately performed CPR on her and used AED to restart her heart three times.
Soon, the paramedics arrived and took her to ECU Health Center.
In her interview, Hailey said,
Everyone keeps asking me what heaven was like. And I’m like, I don’t remember it and I don’t remember seeing anything.
via: Facebook
The young athlete went into cardiac arrest and was only given a 5% chance to survive.
The ECU Assistant Director of Medical Service, Nate Clark, said, “She was certainly lucky. The other two cases weren’t as fortunate. Those are tough situations.”
While recovering, Yentz was diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition, which now requires her to live with a pacemaker.
The pacemaker will protect her from any other such incidents, but it has ended her athletic career.
Yentz said when the doctor told her that she could no longer pursue a career as an athlete, it broke her heart.
Sharing her interview with WITN on Facebook, Yentz captioned it,
Here is my story. I am proud to say I am a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. It’s crazy to belive a week ago I died and came back to life. I haven’t had time to process this all yet, I’m still scared but I know my guardian angels mama and PopPop said to me no go it’s not your time yet, we don’t want you.
via: Facebook
During her interview, Hailey was surrounded by her older sister, Lindsay, and her mom, Stacy.
The Former Track And Field Athlete Has Been Discharged From The Hospital
On February 16, Hailey was seen getting discharged from the hospital. In the background, a few doctors and nurses can be seen cheering and clapping for the young girl.
Hailey wrote, “Hi!!! I’m heading home! I truly am a walking miracle and I thank God for not bringing me home yet.”
She continued, “I still have so much more life to live, and it starts now with my new normal! I have one hell of a story to tell.“
Going through her Instagram handle, it is clear that Hailey loved being an athlete, and track and field was a huge part of her life.
In 2022, she shared a black and white image of her on the track and captioned the post, “Loving what I do; and doing what I love.”
Previously, she also shared a gallery of images, surrounded by her teammates, and wrote, “If you knock me down, I’ll get up again.
Sheer toughness on the track today makes me love this sport so much.”
On November 6, 2024, Hailey shared a carousel of images and wrote an emotional caption stating how she only had five months left in her collegiate career.
The photos dated back to when Hailey was on her high school track and field team.
In her caption, the youngster showed her appreciation for the people who helped in her running journey and said running would always be a part of her.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- The soon-to-be ECU graduate, Hailey Yentz, had previously worked as a Lifeguard at Millennium. She is currently pursuing a Communication degree at East Carolina University.
- Hailey’s older sister, Lindsay Yentz, graduated from East Carolina University in 2022 and is currently working as an RN Staff Nurse at Duke University Hospital.
