School staff save Edmonton student’s life during recess: ‘Real-life heroes’

After being away from school for more than two months, Chloe Aranha is so excited to be back in her Grade 4 classroom at St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary Junior High in south Edmonton.

She’s back to a routine that one felt so ordinary before Oct. 3, 2025.

It was the last day of school before the teachers’ strike. Chloe was playing volleyball with friends when she collapsed during morning recess.

“At about 10:30 a.m., one of our Grade 4 teachers came running in and she said: ‘we have an emergency, we need you outside right away,'” said athletic lead Eric Motut, who was teaching Grade 8 physical education.

He dropped everything and sprinted down a hallway leading to one of the doors outside.

“I found her face down on the ground,” Motut said.

Story continues below advertisement

Chloe wasn’t breathing and he couldn’t feel a pulse. He started administering CPR.

“In that moment, I’ve never been more locked in into anything. Everything around me didn’t exist. Just Chloe and what I needed to do.

“It just felt like I had a purpose and a job.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "It just felt like I had a purpose and a job."

Other colleagues jumped to action, calling 911 and retrieving one of the school’s defibrillators.

Therapeutic assistant Ainsley Dillion applied the paddles and shocked Chloe’s little body twice.

“I think we were there at the right time, at the right place, and we had the training that we needed,” Dillion said.

2:04 Edmonton health-care aide student jumps into action, performs CPR on unresponsive man

• Edmonton health-care aide student jumps into action, performs CPR on unresponsive man
• Runner meets Good Samaritan who performed CPR, saved his life
• CPR saves 19-year-old ball hockey player’s life
• Alberta woman honoured for her bravery after putting CPR skills in use

Previous Video Next Video

Chloe was rushed to the Stollery Children’s Hospital, where doctors praised the school staff for doing everything right and saving the child’s  life.

Story continues below advertisement

“There’s nothing we can do to repay them,” says Chloe’s father Russel Aranha.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“How do you repay them for something that is priceless for you?”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "How do you repay them for something that is priceless for you?"

Motut will never forget the moment he found out Chloe was going to live.

“It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life,” he said.

The nine-year-old spent three days in an induced coma.

She was later diagnosed with CPVT — catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia — a rare condition that causes the heart to beat too fast.

Adrenaline from stress and exercise can trigger it — that’s what caused her cardiac arrest.

5:27 Health Matters: What is sudden cardiac arrest?

• Health Matters: What is sudden cardiac arrest?
• Health Matters: Improving bystander CPR rates
• Heart and Stroke Foundation report shows staggering cardiac arrests data
• A Canadian is in cardiac arrest every 9 minutes, says report. Do you know how to help?
• 1 in 10 survive cardiac arrest: report

Previous Video Next Video

When she was well enough, Dillon and Motut visited her in hospital.

Story continues below advertisement

“She was so excited to see them, and they were hugging.” said Chloe’s mother, Shalini Mathias.

Trending Now

• Trump’s ‘frontal attack’ on U.S. Fed sends global shockwaves
• Golden Globes 2026: The best looks from the red carpet

“They helped me. They saved my life,” Chloe said.

The family finally got to say thank you to their daughter’s lifesavers in person in November.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” Ananha said. “Here we got to meet our real-life heroes and show gratitude for what they did for us and for our family.”

View image in full screen Chloe Aranha in hospital, being visited by Eric Motut and Ainsley Dillion after they saved her life at school on Oct. 3, 2025. Supplied

In early December, Chloe was able to return to school.

“I miss(ed) my friends. I miss(ed) my teacher too,” Chloe said.

The road to recovery has been difficult. Chloe has had to relearn how to eat, walk and talk.

Story continues below advertisement

“Her positivity and her attitude really made sure she got back to where she wanted to be,” Dillon said.

“She’s doing phenomenally.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "She's doing phenomenally."

Last month, Motut and Dillon’s heroic actions were recognized inside the Alberta legislature.

1:34 Woman’s death sparks daughter’s push for AED awareness

Chloe’s family and the school staff hope her story sparks important conversations around access to defibrillators in schools as well as regular training, to make sure no one hesitates when seconds matter most.

Defibrillators are not mandatory in Alberta schools, but the Edmonton Catholic School Board has AED’s in all of its facilities.

“She’s alive because of that. Because of their courage and because of their training,” Mathias said.

More on Canada More videos

• Health Canada approves 1st GLP-1 daily pill. Here’s who can take it
• Ottawa’s gun buyback pilot was ‘successful,’ destroyed 25 guns: minister
• Canadian return trips from U.S. by car decline for 12th straight month: StatCan
• 6 in 10 Canadians expect the economy to get worse in 2026, survey finds

• UBC researchers tout stem cell breakthrough
• New multi-level school in Surrey
• Ontario grapples with use of AI in schools
• Echo autism program helps families get diagnosis faster