‘Take every moment that you have, just be there;’ Stebbins athlete in ICU after heart transplant

RIVERSIDE — A mom opened up about what she said saved her daughter’s life after the 18-year-old had a heart attack at track practice.

Inside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Ebonie Sherwood is learning how to walk again after getting a new heart.

“Right now, she’s doing a lot of therapy, anti-rejection medication,” Ebonie’s mother Beverly said.

Ebonie is a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track and field. Her mom described her as a healthy teen who mentors younger kids a school.

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In early March, Ebonie had a heart attack during track practice at Stebbins High School.

On facebook, the district said two Stebbins athletic trainers immediately did CPR and used an AED device on Ebonie before paramedics got there.

“Emily and Alex, they saved her life,” Beverly said.

Beverly said Ebonie’s old heart had a blood clot that would not go away, so she got a heart transplant a couple of weeks later.

“We were looking at colleges, she just committed to a college to go to in the fall, or like planning graduation parties, proms, getting stuff for her new dorm and everything like that. And I never would have imagined being here,” Beverly said.

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Ebonie’s been in the ICU for six weeks.

As she recovers she told her mom to pass along this message to anyone who will listen — learn CPR and learn how to use an AED.

“Without those things, without having the people close by that knew how to do that, we wouldn’t be here,” Beverly said.

Beverly is thankful for all the doctors and nurses at UC, and the support from people in the Miami Valley. One thing she’s learned through all of this is to not take anything for granted.

“The biggest thing is, I think, as a mom, like teenagers are hard, and they drive them crazy but like take every moment that you have and just be there, be involved because March 7 could have been our last day if her trainers weren’t there and I would have never known that,” Beverly said.

Beverly said she doesn’t know how long Ebonie will be in the ICU for, but she will most likely be not able to play contact sports after this.

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