A custodian at a Kentucky elementary school is being hailed a hero for saving the life of a choking student. Last week, Garth Elementary head custodian Heather Collins was in the school’s cafeteria when a student approached her and told her another student was choking. She rushed to the student and quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver on him, likely saving his life. “It was very scary,” she recalls, “But I’m glad he’s okay and just happy that it’s over and everything is fine.”
Garth Assistant Principal Sam St. Clair says she’s glad that Collins was there to save the student, but not surprised that they came to her for help. “Ms. Heather is more than just a custodian,” says St. Clair. “We have so many kids in this building that love her that go to her when they need something.”
Collins says that you think something like this will never happen to you, until it does. And she credits her training and attentiveness for being able to help the choking student. “You have to pay attention to what you are learning,” she says. “Because you have to be prepared.”
Source: FOX 19
Photo: Getty Images