'I just want to say thank you': Family thanks coaches and staff who help save Greenwood middle schooler

GREENWOOD — The family of a Greenwood eighth grader is thanking their school for saving their loved one’s life.

“He’s goofy. He loves sports. He loves his family,” Amanda Burton said.

Cory Tiller collapsed during a basketball practice on Friday afternoon, according to the Greenwood Community School Corporation.

“He was running a drill with the rest of the kids, and he went into cardiac arrest – basically he was running, and he stopped and fell to the ground,” Amanda Burton said.

Burton said that Cory is her nephew. She spoke to WRTV on Tuesday.

“I want to share this because these coaches need recognition and this staff needs recognition because they saved his life,” Burton said.

Greenwood Community School Corporation said in a release that coaches and staff members were able to quickly administer CPR and use a defibrillator, saving Tiller’s life.

“I just want to say thank you to all the coaches and staff that were there because if this happened at home when he was playing basketball with his brother, he could have died out there,” Burton said.

Cory remains in the hospital where he is recovering.

Dr. Adam Kean with Riley Hospital for Children said that sudden cardiac arrest is rare. He said the importance of knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED is vital.

"There are going to be kids out there who we have not yet identified, and we need to be able to respond to them and we know that getting an AED on the scene as quickly as possible into the hands of community members who know how to use it will save lives,” Dr. Kean said.

Burton and her family have this message for her community.

“We are just incredibly thankful, and I don’t know how to repay them. There is nothing that you can do. There is no price that you can put on a life,” Burton said.

Doctors say reducing your risk for sudden cardiac arrest includes regular checkups, being screened for heart disease, living a heart-healthy lifestyle that includes eating healthy foods and regular exercise.

The Indiana Department of Education says that Indiana law does not specify requirements for AED placement in schools.

If you are looking to become CPR certified click here.

Friends and family are raising money to help with medical expenses.

If you want to donate you can click here.