Apple Watch heart rate alerts helped girl discover and treat cancer

Apple Watch is often credited with helping people detect heart disease or even saving their lives thanks to features like fall and car crash detection. But this time, a 12-year-old girl was able to discover and treat cancer before it was too late with the help of Apple Watch’s heart rate notifications.

Apple Watch credited with hinting at cancer

As reported by Hour Detroit, Imani Miles, a 12-year-old girl, and Jessica Kitchen, her mother, now see the Apple Watch as more than just an accessory. That’s because, according to Kitchen, Imani’s Apple Watch suddenly started alerting her about abnormally high heart rates. “That’s really weird because it’s never happened before. It just kept going off,” said the mother.

Following the continuous alerts, Kitchen decided to take her daughter to the hospital. There, Imani had to have surgery to treat appendicitis – but the story didn’t stop there.

The doctors noticed a tumor in her appendix, which according to them, is “rarely seen in children.” After further examination, it was discovered that the cancer had already spread to other parts of Imani’s body. After that, Imani had to undergo surgery again to remove the cancer, but luckily everything turned out well.

Kitchen told the report that she probably would have waited longer to get Imani to the hospital if it weren’t for the Apple Watch alerts. However, this longer wait could’ve been fatal for the girl. “If she didn’t have that watch, it could have been so much worse,” Kitchen said.

João Bocas, who works as a Digital Health Influencer, reinforces how wearables have been playing a “crucial role in supporting people to build better health behaviors.”

Wearables on their own will not be a miracle, but with the combination of human effort they can improve well-being.

More stories about Apple Watch saving lives

Earlier this month, a 34-year-old woman reported finding out she was pregnant after noticing a considerable increase in her resting heart rate as measured by her Apple Watch. In August, a 70-year-old man said his Apple Watch automatically called emergency services after he fainted and hit his head hard on the floor.

Apple, of course, uses these and similar reports to promote the Apple Watch as a product that can save people’s lives. The company published a video last month with multiple people telling their stories about how the Apple Watch has changed their lives, which you can watch below or on YouTube.

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