Athletic Trainer Saves Student’s Life After On-Court Collapse at Darrow School
Basketball has long been everything to Darrow School senior Jamison Thrower. But during practice on October 1, the sport nearly took his life. The 18-year-old point guard was driving down the court when he went up for a dunk—only to collide midair with a teammate and take a blow to the chest.
“It just felt like I had shortage of breath, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t breathe and then everything went black,” Jamison recalled. Seconds later, he collapsed and began seizing.
Athletic Trainer Allison Pritchard rushed to his side.
“We rolled him onto his side because he was choking a little bit,” she said. “And then all of a sudden everything stopped. I checked his pulse—there was nothing.”
Pritchard began CPR immediately.
“On the 10th compression, he came back,” she said.
But moments later, Jamison stopped breathing again. After several more compressions, his pulse returned a second time. An AED was applied, but a shock wasn’t needed. By the time paramedics arrived, Jamison was breathing and conscious again.
“I was so grateful to be able to open my eyes and look around,” Jamison said. “She saved my life. I owe it all to her.”
The two now share a special handshake—symbolizing the bond forged in those terrifying minutes.
Pritchard called the event “the scariest thing I ever saw,” but also a powerful reminder of why having Athletic Trainers at schools matters.
“It just shows how important it is to have Athletic Trainers at practices and games,” she said.
Jamison, now off his heart monitor and awaiting test results, said the experience changed his outlook:
“God wanted me to learn how to be a better person—and I’m on that path right now.”
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