Free cardiac care screening event held in Waterbury
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Turning a near tragedy into preventative action.
'One of his teammates came out to get me, his father. I went in the back room, he was going through cardiac arrest,' Ty's father, Terence Lott said.
Minutes after celebrating a Holy Cross High School basketball win last month, Ty Lott collapsed in the locker room.
1st Responders honored for service during cardiac emergencies in New Haven
Two nurses and a firefighter in the crowd gave the 16-year-old CPR until an ambulance arrived. At the hospital, Ty went into a medically induced coma, then the ICU for a week.
'It was slow at first! I was in the hospital. Taking the medication, they were giving me. Then I went home and rested for a little bit and now I'm back at school,' Ty Lott, who suffered cardiac arrest, said.
'We had angels on our side that night and it's hard to put words on it, it almost brings me to tears,' Holy Cross High School Boys Basketball Coach Michael Wilson said.
Weeks later, Ty and his family, along with nonprofit In a Heartbeat and the Greater Waterbury YMCA hosted a free cardiac care screening event.
'I think just to know ahead of time so no one else has to go through this is important,' Ty's mother, Tasha Lott said.
'Kids don't get their heart checked. They might get their heart listened to. They might be asked about systems, but an ECG can actually detect most heart disease that cause sudden cardiac arrest,' In a Heartbeat President & Founder Mike Papale said.
News 8's Brittany Schaefer got a firsthand look at the ECG test. It was painless, fast and took less than five minutes. It can detect most heart conditions, many that go unnoticed.
'Survival rates for cardiac arrest is low so we want to detect it before they are in that emergency situation,' Papale said.
Papale knows firsthand, going into cardiac arrest at just 17. He said Ty's motivation to help others this soon is inspirational.
Wednesday's Warrior: Man shares cardiac arrest story to encourage heart health in young people
'What they went through is traumatic and it's amazing they are already a month later ready to be this involved,' Papale said.
'Everybody cares about what's going on and seeing people from other schools and stuff being here too,' Ty's teammate and friend Azye Harge said.
'To have this beautiful moment with ty and everyone smiling and hugging and blessing the community with some opportunity. It's awesome,' Wilson said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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