Oak Park teacher thanks students who helped save him during cardiac arrest

OAK PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - March 22nd changed everything for Alfred Kattola, a coach and middle school physical education teacher,

He suffered cardiac arrest during an Oak Park High School student-teacher basketball game.

"Medically I was gone," he said.

Kattola has lost family members due to heart conditions.

"My dad and brother went at 53, 55, boom," he said.

High school juniors Isreal DuBose and Correy Coleman were hoping to see a great game that day. But then they saw their teacher collapse.

"We’re sitting in the bleachers right over there," Isreal said. "(It was like) something’s wrong, something’s wrong."

That’s when Isreal jumped into action and ran to assist the teacher by giving him CPR

"I just knew I had to do something," she said. "I began compressions around two and around two and a half rounds of compressions, the AED was brought and Correy placed the AED pads."

"I was like, 'Izzy if you get tired let me take over compressions,'" said Correy.

It was just a few months ago that these students at Oak Park High learned CPR from staff at Oakland Schools Technical Campus in Royal Oak.

"My baby brother has seizures, so I always wanted to learn CPR," Isreal said.

"They learn basic life support with the AED," said Marla Canvasser RN & Instructor, Oakland Schools Technical Campus.

"I feel so proud that they not only learned the skill they felt confident in the skill to perform it in an emergency situation," Angie Shaw, RN & Instructor, Oakland Schools Technical Campus.

The students weren’t the only two working to save the teacher and coach, staff members and administrators were also doing their part and called 911

"It took an entire village," said Angel Abdulahad, superintendent. "I saw 50-60 people all doing different things."

It was just last week that Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bills for new high school CPR and AED requirements.

But two years ago Oak Park Schools proactively arranged to work with Corewell Health, Children’s Student Heart Check program to receive six additional AEDs and create response plans for each school.

"We hope that they go out there and become life savers," said Jen Shea, Corewell Health. "And it happened, which is awesome."

As Kattola continues to count his blessings, he hopes the community will find a way to thank these students who saved his life.

Both students want medical careers, in fact Isreal is currently patient transporter at Corewell Health.

"Whatever we do, a GoFundMe or whatever," he said. "We should find a way to pay for their college and give them an opportunity to continue this good work."