Apple Watch is credited with saving many lives on many occasions. From saving a hiker's life in October last year to prompting many users to get checked by a doctor after an irregular heartbeat, Apple Watch has emerged a great wearable in recent times. Its popularity and usefulness helped Apple outsell the entire Swiss watch industry in 2019.
Digging into the treasures of the past when Apple Watch helped save lives, a 2018 incident of a 13-year-old has come to light. Skylar Joslin of Oklahoma received an alert on his then-new Apple Watch about an irregular heartbeat. The smartwatch's heart-monitoring feature had picked up a spike in Joslin's heartbeat when it hit 190.
Joslin was alerted while he was in a class in April 2018 and he quickly sent that alert along with a screenshot of his heartbeat at 190 to his mom. "Mommy, there's something wrong. I'm not doing anything," Joslin texted, according to local news outlet KFOR.
Joslin's mother, Liz, immediately picked him up from school and drove to the emergency room. By the time they reached the hospital, Joslin's heartbeat had hit an alarming 280 beats per minute on Apple Watch. Doctors quickly diagnosed the condition and found Joslin was suffering from supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT - a disease that forces the heart to speed up.
All that ends well
Joslin had to undergo major surgery to fix the issue with his heart. After seven and a half hour cardiac ablation, Joslin's condition was rectified. Now, Joslin can participate in all sports and activities. It was one alert on Apple Watch that led to the early diagnosis of a rather life-threatening situation.
"If I wouldn't have gotten his Apple Watch, I don't know that I would've ever known. I mean it's unknown how long it would've been going on or how long it would've really taken," Liz said.
With this, Apple won the loyalty of yet another consumer. Inspired by this, Joslin's science teacher also got an Apple Watch. Joslin is also going to be the face of Oklahoma American Heart Association Heart Walk on April 25.
Apple Watch's life-saving features
Apple Watch is packed with features that go beyond communication. It is one of the most accurate smartwatches out there to detect irregularities in heart. The ECG feature in the latest watch series has been credited with saving many lives by detecting some heart conditions early.
The Apple Watch also comes with an interesting feature "fall detection" feature, available in series 4 and series 5, which is activated when a sudden fall is detected. Apple Watch is then tasked with placing an emergency call to the local helpline and sending out a text message with your location to the emergency contact. This way, help can be provided to the user even if he or she is unconscious from a fall or an accident.
