The weekend that changed a heart—and a life
A Lightning Strike, Frantic Cries for Help, and a Stranger Who Refused to Let a Teen Die
“It was like a bomb went off.”
A shattering noise from the sky. And then desperate cries. Andrea Rogers bolted from her car and raced toward them.
“I thought someone had a heart attack and maybe needed CPR. I came to the scene to find a girl had been struck by lightning. Another person had started pressing on her chest. He said he really didn’t know what he was doing, so I took over. Every three months we go through hands-on CPR practice. All that training paid off,” said Rogers, CST, a surgical technologist with Թ Medicine’s Highland Hospital and The Saunders Center for Orthopaedics & Physical Performance.
Muscle memory from mandatory quarterly cardiopulmonary resuscitation training kicked in, and Rogers found her groove. She kept a steady pace of 100+ compressions per minute. Focusing on the girl’s chest, she visualized the manikin used for practice.
“I was so sure of what I was doing in that moment,” Rogers said. Assisted by a stranger checking for a pulse, they closely watched for signs of revival.
Anxiety rose with the rumbling thunder and flashes in the sky. “In my panic, I raised my voice in prayer that God would protect us and bring her back to life,” said Rogers, mother of three teens.
Her faith and CPR skills proved effective: Kylie Smith took a breath, then another, and the bluish skin faded.
Emergency responders praised Rogers and bystanders for their quick action before transporting the girl to Թ Medicine’s .
Defying the Odds
Struck by lightning, Kylie’s sneakers were scorched.
When someone suffers cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, their chances of survival doubles or triples when a bystander – a family member, coworker, friend, or stranger – calls 911 and immediately begins CPR, according to the American Heart Association.
Unfortunately, fewer than half of all people who need CPR receive it before the first responders arrive. And only 10 percent survive. The sad reality is seven in 10 people say they are not prepared to act in the face of a cardiac emergency.
On Aug. 17, 2024, Rogers was the right person, in the right place, at the right time to save Smith.
They were both at Webster Park enjoying a gorgeous evening. The setting sun painted the sky shades of orange and pink, while Smith, a friend, and their mother captured photos.
Nearby, Rogers was relaxing in her car, letting the waves wash away the stress of a busy day.
While the girls walked the shoreline, they could see dark clouds and a few flashes of lightning off in the distance. The teens believed the storm was too far away to interrupt their fun.
They miscalculated.
The ominous clouds moved quickly, the skies lit up overhead, and suddenly, a “deafening boom.”
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Recovery and Resilience
I woke up in the hospital and when I found out about getting struck by lightning, I didn't believe it. It just sounds crazy,” Smith said.
The injuries – painful burns, a broken jaw and temporary hearing loss – told the story, along with the charred sneakers she wore.
She was hospitalized four days, which included care by the Kessler Burn & Trauma Center team.
“We couldn’t ask for better care for Kylie. The teamwork and compassion were comforting as we wrapped our heads around the gravity of what happened,” said parents Kristen Smith and Jason Smith, PharmD., Chief Pharmacy Officer for Թ Medicine.
When the teen returned home it wasn’t long before the entire girls’ soccer team arrived to encourage her through recovery.
Healing was slow, but Smith was determined to start the school year at Webster Schroeder High School on time. Self-conscious about her injuries, she is grateful for support from her friends.
“It was a big challenge sitting on the sidelines for soccer…because of the broken jaw,” Smith said, frustrated that she’d earned a spot on the varsity squad as a sophomore and was missing the season.
When Smith received her doctor’s OK to play, her entry into a late-season game was met with thunderous applause.
A year later, Smith is a starter for the soccer team. Recognizing her good fortune, she’s paying it forward by encouraging others to learn how to be a lifesaver. In August, her soccer team learned how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
CPR Saves Lives
Every year in the U.S., upwards of 300,000 people suffer in-hospital cardiac arrests and the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical created the initiative to improve clinicians’ skills. Թ Medicine was an early adopter of the program and has been recognized for its commitment to strengthening CPR skills throughout the health system.
Rogers credits the routine CPR training for the skills and confidence to respond when Smith needed her.
When you do it every three months, you are so much better when it comes to a real-life situation,” she said. “I knew exactly what I was doing. There was not a moment I doubted myself. My appreciation for the RQI program has skyrocketed.”
That’s music to the ears of Medical Center leaders.
“Andrea’s experience demonstrates why everyone needs to know how to perform CPR. It’s a life skill, like learning how to swim,” said Stephanie VonBacho, EdD, MSEd, MS, RN, NEA-BC, senior director of Learning and Development for the University, Medical Center, and Թ Medicine.
—Story by Leslie White, December 9, 2025
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