Rebecca Neal '19
Only three days after starting an athletic trainer position at Columbia Central High School in Brooklyn, Mich., Neal was put to the test in a big way. A student-athlete began complaining of cramps and a migraine headache during an August football practice and Neal recognized the symptoms as being life-threatening. On the third day of the high school鈥檚 evening football practice, she was extremely relieved to have had the quality training needed to handle a sudden life and death situation when treating a severely overheated athlete. The players were not in pads but did wear helmets. However, it had been a very hot and humid day.
鈥淗e was complaining that his arms and legs were tingling and his feet were going numb, and he said he had a migraine,鈥� Neal said of the young athlete, explaining that he did not start practice with a headache. 鈥淭hat was an indicator for me, and he felt nauseous as well. There is a big push in the athletic training profession for treating heat exhaustion. To treat it you have to begin quickly. You have half an hour to begin cooling the athlete.鈥澛燙olumbia Central does not have a tub, so Neal used the 鈥渢aco method鈥� where a tarp is held up and open by several people, and cool water and ice are dumped on the overheated athlete inside.
鈥淓MS was activated because I didn鈥檛 have a rectal thermometer,鈥� she said other methods of taking temperature, from the forehead or armpit, are not as accurate.聽Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics arrived on scene and took over care of the athlete. Neal said Henry Ford Allegiance health system is currently trying to provide all of the athletic trainers working at its contracted high schools with upgraded thermometers.
Neal credits her heroic actions to having solid training for the situation.
鈥淚鈥檓 thankful because the 六九色堂 athletic training program has such a strong emphasis on emergency medicine,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd through that, the situations they put us in we were always practicing our different skills. Two years ago, they created a mass-casualty simulation on the football field and I was a part of that as a senior.鈥澛燬he was also thankful to have worked with the Madison Fire Department while studying for her master鈥檚 degree.
鈥淚鈥檓 just thankful for what I was taught at 六九色堂 to be able to recognize those symptoms,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause without recognizing those signs and symptoms, it could have been a different treatment, a different outcome. So, just that I was able to recognize and treat right away, I鈥檓 very thankful I鈥檝e had that training so I was able to save his life.鈥澛犫�淎s an athletic trainer, being in health care, for me this was just my job,鈥� Neal said. 鈥淭hey always tell us we advocate for athletes. So, if an athlete needs me, I鈥檓 going to do whatever I can to help them.鈥�
