Liverpool teen saved by co-workers after going into cardiac arrest

A family of five from Liverpool is extra thankful this holiday season. Kayla Scholz, the oldest of the Scholz siblings, has spent the last few weeks re-learning how to walk, read and write. On October 27, just two days after her birthday, her life changed forever.

Two of her co-workers at American Eagle in Destiny USA saved Kayla’s life that day.

“It was just a normal day. I went into work. I think I was two-hours into my shift and I guess– I don’t remember it that well. I don’t have any memory of it, but people have told me I went into the break room in the back,” Kayla said. “I guess I started convulsing. They thought I was having a seizure.”

The two co-workers acted quickly, and started performing CPR on Kayla. The store manager called Jennifer Scholz, Kayla’s mom.

“I remember leaving my grocery cart. Getting frantic in the moment and rushing to American Eagle,” Jennifer Scholz said. “Running every red light to get there and she was on a stretcher being brought into the back of the ambulance.”

Jennifer says when she arrived, she got terrible news. First responders said Kayla hadn’t had a pulse for over 20 minutes. Kayla was put into a coma for five days. She has no memory of the week before or the week of the incident. Doctors have determined 18-year-old Kayla went into cardiac arrest.

“I have been told that less than 10 percent survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest,” Jennifer said. “And even if they do survive, only about 1 percent come out without a severe brain injury.”

Kayla has made a miraculous recovery, though she is still having some trouble with her balance and has been going to different types of rehabilitation. First responders told her if her co-workers didn’t do CPR, she wouldn’t be alive.

“There would have been no chance I would have survived,” Kayla said. “It really it was all up to them. They are the heroes.”

NewsChannel 9 has reached out to the two women responsible for saving Kayla’s life. We are hoping to speak with them soon. The Scholz family is still searching for answers as to why Kayla went into cardiac arrest.