Jermaine Cullum, 16, collapses at Riverside basketball game, survives heart attack
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Doctors are trying to determine what caused a teenager to collapse while playing basketball in the western suburbs over the weekend.
Sixteen-year-old Jermaine Cullum remains hospitalized at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Cullum is in critical condition after going into cardiac arrest on Saturday afternoon. His mother says he probably would have died if it wasn't for the help of an emergency room doctor and a nurse, who were spectators at the basketball tournament Cullum was playing in.
Tarcia Patton calls Melody Burrell her angel. The two women never met each other until a tragedy brought them together this past Saturday afternoon.
Patton's son Jermaine was playing in a basketball tournament at Riverside Brookfield High School when the 16-year-old collapsed. Burrell, who is a nurse, was a spectator.
"I witnessed him run up and down the court, he made a basket. He got halfway, mid-court and he kind of fell," Burrell said.
As Patton rushed to the school, Burrell and another spectator, who is an emergency room doctor, immediately rushed to help Cullum.
"We turned him over trying to get a pulse. Me and ER doc couldn't get pulse, immediately started CPR on him," Burrell said.
A pulse came back as Cullum was rushed to Loyola University Medical center where he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that his mother says could not be detected before her son collapsed.
"He played football, basketball, he never had any conditions, no breathing problems, no nothing, so it was a shock to me find out my son had a heart attack," said Patton.
"Fortunately, these episodes are rare," said Dr. Jeffrey Winterfield, Loyola University Medical Center.
They are rare, but for Patton, very real. She hasn't left the hospital since her son was brought here. The nurse who helped save Cullum has been by Patton's side.
"They are a great family Jermaine great kid, he is so loved by everybody," said Burrell.
"He is going to fight through this he is fighting right now," Patton said.
Cullum is from Chicago and goes to Christ the King High School. His mother said his teammates, his principal and his coach have all visited him.
