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On Dec. 6, 2022, Patrick Kellachan received a call that he said would become “forever be cemented” in his brain:
“PJ has been stabilized and is breathing with the assistance of a respirator.”
His then-17-year-old son, PJ, had collapsed during basketball practice at Chaminade High School in Mineola, suffering a seizure and eventually going into cardiac arrest.
Earlier Report: 'Very Grateful': Mineola Coaches Honored For Saving HS Basketball Player Who Collapsed On Court
Luckily, the teen’s coaches sprang into action, grabbing an automated external defibrillator (AED) and performing chest compressions and CPR for an “agonizing” 10 minutes until emergency personnel arrived, Kellachan said.
Now, a year after the life-saving incident, Kellachan wants to give back by running the New York City marathon and raising funds alongside awareness.
“PJ from all accounts made a miraculous recovery…As a parent, I am forever in their debt,” he wrote in his marathon story.
Kellachan hopes that by participating in the event, he will bring to attention how important AEDs are in cardiac emergencies, along with honoring the men who saved PJ’s life and providing funding to implement even more AEDs and training for Chaminade High School.
“All of those efforts would have been futile if there was not an AED machine located in the gym,” he said of PJ’s collapse, “[They’re] a proven life saver and I have heard countless stories of other young athletes who had a similar experience as PJ where the outcome was not optimal.”
So far, Kellachan has raised $41,860 of his now-$50,000 goal – he actually had to up the goal after an overwhelming wave of support got him to his original benchmark in only a few weeks.
Hundreds of people have donated, many leaving messages applauding Kellachan for bringing attention to the importance of AEDs.
The three men who helped save PJ (coach Dan Feeney, assistant coach Bob Paul, and athletic trainer Jorge Vargas) were honored by the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County for their actions.
PJ, for his part, returned to playing in mid-January 2023 and plans to play basketball in college following an ACL surgery.
The New York City Marathon will take place on Sunday, Nov. 5.
More information regarding Kellachan's fundraiser can be found here.
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