A dramatic rescue unfolded in Promachoi Almopias, a remote mountain village in the Aridaia municipality of Central Macedonia. A 16-year-old girl suffered cardiac arrest inside her home—but survived thanks to swift action by her family and the immediate use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) within minutes.
Midnight Emergency
The incident occurred in mid-June. The teenager’s younger sister woke during the night, hearing her sibling breathing heavily. She immediately alerted their parents, who rushed to the room. Her mother—who had been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid through the Kids Save Lives initiative—quickly realized her daughter was not breathing normally. She began CPR right away while calling for help.
Community Response Saves a Life
At the same time, the father called the National Centre for Emergency Care (EKAB) and ran to retrieve one of two AEDs available in the village. Shortly after, another trained local volunteer—also part of the Kids Save Lives program—arrived to assist with resuscitation efforts.
The AED was deployed less than two minutes after the girl collapsed. With the first shock, her heart resumed beating and she began breathing again. Due to the village’s remote location, the EKAB ambulance arrived about 45 minutes later—by which time the teen was conscious and stable.
Complex Medical Journey
She was first taken to the Aridaia Health Centre, then transferred to Edessa General Hospital, followed by the Intensive Care Unit in Larissa, and finally to Athens’ Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center. There, doctors implanted a state-of-the-art internal cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to manage the underlying cardiac condition that triggered the arrest.
About two weeks after the incident, the 16-year-old returned home fully recovered.
A Model of Community Preparedness
In a statement, Kids Save Lives – Children Save Lives highlighted the case as a powerful example of how citizen training in life-saving skills—and the availability of AEDs in local communities—can be decisive. “Every link in the Chain of Survival worked perfectly, proving that trained citizens and accessible defibrillators truly make a difference—especially in rural areas, remote regions, and Greek islands,” the organization said.