10-Year-Old School Boy, Koby Hodder, Died For 12 Minutes While Playing On School Playground

A 10-year-old schoolboy, Koby Hodder, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was rushed to a nearby hospital when his heart suddenly stopped for 12 minutes as he played on his school’s playground. Once he was rushed to a nearby hospital, it was concluded that he suffered a heart attack, but things took a turn for the worse when he had a second heart attack hours later, according to Daily Mail.

Doctors are having difficulties explaining why a healthy, active 10-year-old boy would suffer two heart attack within 24 hours.

On March 2 at approximately 11 a.m., Koby — who attends Bentley High Street Primary School — was sent to the playground with his classmates for their morning break.

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Koby and his friends decided to play a game called British Bulldog, but a few moments later, he suddenly collapsed.

Teachers immediately took action and began performing CPR on Koby. When paramedics arrived, Koby’s heart began to beat again after they shocked him twice with a defibrillator.

Koby’s heart had stopped for 12 minutes.

He was then rushed to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where doctors believed he was going to make a full recovery. However, things went awry when Koby later suffered another heart attack. He then had to be transferred to Leeds General Infirmary Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Koby’s parents, Mark and Joanne, recall receiving the devastating phone call informing them that their son died for 12 minutes due to cardiac arrest.

“I was working around the corner so I was able to get straight over there and when I saw Koby on the ground I knew he was dead,” Mark said.

“Teachers were giving him CPR but I could see he was grey and lifeless. I couldn’t even go to him. I was devastated.”

“Can you imagine what we were going through? We didn’t even have a clue what had happened to Koby. We didn’t think for a moment that he could have had a heart problem,” said Joanne.

“I had dropped him off to school that morning and he was his happy little self. We had no warning. Koby is a bit of a joker so when he collapsed even his friends thought he was messing around, until they noticed he wasn’t breathing.

“I cannot thank each and every person who played a part in saving Koby’s life and helped with his recovery enough. Teachers, paramedics and hospital staff have all been amazing.”

Mark added, “As a parent it is your worst nightmare to receive a phone call like I did from school, when you sent your healthy 10-year-old child there fit and well that morning.”

“Doctors have said that the fact that Koby was running around at the time of the attack may have helped him – because it meant his heart was pumping.

“They’ve said that if he can exercise and talk at the same time then that’s okay, but playing professionally is out of the question.”

After Koby died for 12 minutes as a result of a heart attack, then suffered a second heart attack, his mother said, “Koby has come a long way and even returned to school this month.”

“He’s had a fantastic recovery so far, which is all down to the fast response from the school staff and the paramedics.

“He’s doing better than we could have ever imagined.

“I am so grateful we still have our little boy with us.”

Cardiac arrest in youth is not unlikely, and it could be hereditary, which is why Koby’s parents contrive to have their other children tested for any heart diseases while Koby continues to get tested to uncover why he had two heart attacks in the same day.

[Image courtesy of Paul/Flickr]