DUBLIN, Ga. — A teenager in Georgia is putting her whole heart into saving others after her own heart nearly gave out.
Lexi Lowman survived incredible odds and is now helping at Fairview Park Hospital, the place she believes saved her life.
"I like helping patients, it's always been my dream to help people," Lowman said.
The high school senior works nearly full-time, even when she’s a patient herself. Lowman had just started her job in January and was on her second day of orientation when she collapsed.
"I was scared, I was like, why did this happen to me," she said.
Lowman flatlined and didn't have a heartbeat for 10 minutes.
The 18-year-old went into sudden cardiac arrest. Her sister, a nurse practitioner at the same hospital, arrived to work right after she collapsed.
Her sister jumped into action and performed mouth-to-mouth on Lowman. Shortly after, an office manager and a nurse started CPR, administering a shock with the AED.
Dr. Gary Daniel was at the ER when Lowman arrived. They all worked together to save her life.
"She was blue and purple. Just lifeless, laying there," Lowman’s sister said.
While doctors are unsure of what caused the sudden collapse, the teen is now under the care of Dr. Reza Karimianpour, a cardiologist and heart rhythm specialist at Piedmont Atlanta.
Lexi Lowman's recovery
"I really think of her story as a modern day medical miracle. She was at the right place at the right time," Karimianpour said.
Following Lowman’s collapse, the community wrapped its’ arms around her, according to her mother, Beth Lowman.
The local daycare kids sent her a get-well card, with one little boy giving her $27.
"He had been saving all his money, he's like 5 years old, and he wanted to make sure Lexi got that," Beth said.
Beth said she’s fortunate that her daughter pulled through and that she's receiving great care in Atlanta.
"We are just lucky. We are lucky we have her," Beth said.
Lowman now has a defibrillator implanted in her chest in case this ever happens again. Now, she’s using her own experience in the hospital to help her patients.
"I feel like my purpose is to help others. People helped me become better and I want to do that in return," Lowman said.
Suffering a sudden cardiac arrest at her age is rare, but Karimianpour said more than 360,000 Americans would have a heart attack each year.
While the American Heart Association estimates only 10% of people survive this, Lowman said she’s going to pour 100% of her heart into doing what she loves.