The Apple Watch saved a teenage girl's life after the wearable device's heart rate monitor resulted in the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.
Apple is carving out the identity of a health-focused Apple Watch, with developments such as the Apple Heart Study app and an EKG reader that connects to the wearable device. It now appears that the Apple Watch is on the right track as it adds to the list of people that it has saved.
Apple Watch Saves Life Of Teenager
One of the Apple Watch health features is the heart rate monitor, and true to its name, it keeps track of the heart rate of the wearer. The Apple Watch heart rate monitor has resulted in the discovery of heart problems, but in this case, the feature led to the diagnosis of a kidney failure.
Deanna Recktenwald, an 18-year-old teenager from Tampa Bay, Florida, told ABC affiliate WFTS that her Apple Watch saved her life. The wearable device, which was given to her as a Christmas gift, suddenly warned her while she was at church that her resting heart rate hit 190 beats per minute. The Apple Watch recommended that she immediately seek medical attention.
Stacey Recktenwald, Deanna's mother who is a registered nurse, took Deanna to a walk-in clinic, which confirmed her abnormally high heart rate. The teenager was then rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Deanna's kidneys were discovered to be functioning at only 20 percent, which means that she would need transplants in the future.
Stacey, thankful that the Apple Watch's features resulted in the discovery of a condition that was hidden for years, wrote a letter to Tim Cook, the Apple CEO, about how the wearable device saved her daughter's life. Cook, in turn, responded with an e-mail and a tweet.
Stories like Deanna’s inspire us to dream bigger and push harder every day. https://t.co/O7xJ9n1MHg — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 1, 2018
Apple Watch Saved Another Teen's Life
There have already been several stories about how the Apple Watch saved the life of its wearer, or how the wearable device improved the health of users.
An incident that is similar to Deanna's case was reported in September 2015 when the Apple Watch heart rate monitor saved upcoming senior football player Paul Houle Jr. from a possible kidney problem. A few days later, Cook offered Paul Jr. an Apple internship.
