Laurel Ridge student Meg Croft doesn’t remember anything from the life-changing day that nearly killed her – and led to a new career path.
Meg was just 15-years-old and a Skyline High School student when she collapsed in her health communications class in the Science and Health Professions Building on Laurel Ridge’s Middletown Campus in 2021. She spent part of each day on campus as a Mountain Vista Governor’s School (MVGS) student.
Campus police, along with MVGS Chemistry teacher Christian Laourdakis and then-MVGS Director Kelly Huff, saved Meg’s life until an ambulance could arrive. An undiagnosed congenital condition had caused Croft to have a heart attack.
“I don’t remember anything from that day,” she said.
Her father Nick does, though.
“I got her dropped off that morning,” he recalled. “She went up to class and said good morning to the teacher and then collapsed.”
Nick was driving home when he received a phone call saying his daughter had passed out.
“I came back,” he said. “I didn’t think it was a big thing at the time.”
Nick got another call, saying his daughter was being transported to Warren Memorial Hospital. He said he saw the ambulance arrive with Meg, with Laurel Ridge’s police chief at the time, Bruce Coor, also inside.
“Her teacher initiated CPR on her, which is why she’s still with us,” said Nick, who said an automated external defibrillator (AED) was also used at Laurel Ridge.
He added that only 8 percent of people who go into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting survive.
Meg was taken from Warren Memorial to INOVA Fairfax Medical Campus.
She was shocked more than 20 times in an effort to save her life. Doctors worked on Meg so long that her dad heard one physician say it was time to talk to the family, that it had been more than two hours. However, one doctor insisted they continue to try to save her.
“That’s the entire reason I’m still here,” Meg said.
Nick recalled, “The doctor said, ‘I’m not ready to give up. Let’s get cardiology’.”
That led to Meg being placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, better known as ECMO, machine. She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The ECMO machine, while keeping her alive, also was quite damaging to Meg. It led to her requiring heart surgery to place an internal defibrillator. Additionally, circulation to her left leg was hindered, and she ended up having that entire leg – up to her hip – amputated.
She did her rehab at Kennedy Krieger Institute. During her months of hospitalization, hospital child life specialists had a profound effect on her.
“Child life works with kids,” said Meg. “They do art, puzzles, things like that with the kids. They help hospitalized children with coping.”
This is what drew her back to her passion for art, pour painting, in particular.
Meg recalls when it was time to get her g-tube, which provided nutrition directly into her stomach, removed, child life workers explained the process using art. As they talked about it, she used a g-tube with a large syringe to paint a canvas.
Meg was able to later thank Chief Coor and to present the EMS crew with a life-saving award.
Meg’s half-birthday – half-birthdays are celebrated in the Croft household – was just days away when she had her heart attack. Now, she celebrates “alive days” every Sept. 7. She said her health continues to fluctuate, with hot temperatures tending to make her feel sick. The prolonged resuscitation efforts left her with bone injuries, and her vision, as well as her motor control and executive function abilities were also affected.
She was able to return to school and graduated from Skyline in 2024. After graduating, she enrolled at Laurel Ridge and is on track to earn her associate degree in general studies next spring. Meg then hopes to transfer to George Mason University and get a degree in child life. Prior to her heart attack, she thought she wanted to study zoology.
“I’ve been really enjoying all my psychology classes,” Meg, who uses a wheelchair, said. “Professor [Addie] Jones is great. It’s a good campus. It’s small enough to where I’m not over-exerting myself.”
Another favorite instructor is Joseph Walls.
“I think he’s probably my favorite English teacher I’ve ever had,” said Meg. “He makes English fun.”
Meg said she finds creating art therapeutic. Her vibrant designs appear on canvases, posters, prints, backpacks and other bags, shirts and even pet accessories.
“For me, art’s kind of a calming technique,” she said. “It’s grounding. While I’m watching the paint drip from the canvas, it eases my mind, kind of helping my brain connect to the paint.”
She has begun to sell her art at https://www.megxcraft.com/shop/ and recently set up an art booth at SamiCon at the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal. Meg turned to the Laurel Ridge Small Business Development Center and its director, Andy Gyurisin, to get some business advice.
“I think it’s a great resource,” she said. “Andy is a great help for starting up a business.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.