Student steps up to save classmate’s life
SHEENECTADY, NY (NEWS10) – Bradt Primary School recognizes one of its students as a hero. One little boy did everything he could to save his friends’ lives.
It was a typical day in the cafeteria with students eating and enjoying lunch on Wednesday afternoons. Then something extraordinary happened.
“I ate french fries and then everything but the bowl went down,” said Theresa Nelson, second grader at Bradt Primary School. “I couldn’t breathe out of my nose, it was really scary,” said Theresa.
Theresa could neither speak nor breathe within seconds. Then she turned to her colleagues for help.
“I looked over at the students next to me, but they didn’t know what was going on,” said Theresa.
Second year Everett Sowards was sitting behind Theresa eating his lunch. He noticed her signals that something was wrong. He was in the right place at the right time.
- “Then I turned around and waved my arms a lot. Then I coughed a lot, “said Theresa.
- “I saw her face and found that her face was all red. She was crying and coughing at the same time, ”Everett said.
- “Everett knew what was going on, I think, so he waved both hands to one of the midday ladies,” Theresa said.
- “I was like really raising my hand and I called Mrs. Veldas trying to get her attention,” Everett said.
Ms. Anne Veldas, an administrative assistant at the school, overflowed immediately. She saw that Theresa was suffocating. “At that point I got behind her and performed the Heimlich maneuver. It was really very quick, ”said Ms. Veldas.
Theresa went to the nurse and checked out. Everett received a special award for knowing exactly what to do. There’s a reason he knew exactly what to do.
- “I choked on myself once when I was younger. I choked on a small chip, ”Everett said.
Mrs. Veldas said she couldn’t have made it without the help of seven-year-old Everett and him, who got up so quickly. “It was a very difficult year for everyone. Even in that frightening moment, Everett realized we were here to help one another. It’s amazing, ”said Ms. Veldas.
Theresa thinks Everett is great too. “I feel really good about it,” she said.
“I feel good because I saved Theresa”
Second grader Everett Sowards