Student-Athlete Saves Her Dad’s Life with CPR Skills Learned at University of Pittsburgh

 Student-Athlete Saves Her Dad’s Life with CPR Skills Learned at University of Pittsburgh

When Ellie Breech’s father, Ed Breech, a longtime ER nurse, went into cardiac arrest after a night shift, Ellie’s quick thinking and recent CPR training helped save his life. Ellie, a soccer goalie and student-athlete at the University of Pittsburgh, had been trained in CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) just months earlier, as part of the university’s effort to train its athletes following the high-profile cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during an NFL game.

For Ellie, the training in the spring of 2023 was a refresher of skills she had learned as a summer lifeguard in her hometown of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. She was already familiar with the life-saving power of CPR, thanks to years of hearing her father share stories from his work in the emergency room.

On Christmas morning in 2023, after working an overnight shift, Ed came home to spend the holiday with his family—his wife Maggie, daughter Ellie, and son Mack. After opening gifts, Ed went downstairs to take a nap, while Maggie heard unusual snoring from the basement. When Ed didn’t respond to her calls, Maggie rushed to check on him and found him unresponsive. She immediately called Ellie, who quickly dialed 911 and started CPR.

Ellie performed chest compressions for nine minutes, keeping her father alive until emergency responders arrived. When they attached an AED, it detected a nonshockable heart rhythm, which meant that CPR was Ed’s only chance for survival. Once at the hospital where Ed worked, doctors used a mechanical chest compression device, performed additional CPR, and eventually placed Ed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which takes over the heart and lungs' functions, giving them time to recover. Ed spent five days on the ECMO machine and, five days later, had his breathing tube removed.

Ellie was by her father’s side as he regained consciousness, and Ed’s first words were to thank her for saving his life. After 22 days in the hospital, Ed returned home with no brain damage—a testament to Ellie’s quick action and the importance of CPR. Doctors were unable to determine why Ed’s heart stopped but credited immediate CPR as the reason for his remarkable recovery.

The experience left a deep impact on Ellie, who was studying engineering but now plans to pursue a career in medicine. She was honored alongside her father at a University of Pittsburgh basketball game, where Damar Hamlin personally presented her with an award. Ellie shared her family’s story with Hamlin, saying she felt connected to him through the lifesaving power of CPR.

The Breech family now has a new member—George, a pug puppy who has become Ed’s constant companion. Ellie’s story underscores the critical importance of CPR training, not just for medical professionals but for everyone, as it can make the difference between life and death in an emergency.