Hero Teachers Save Student From Certain Death
Published: April 7, 2008
Students and teachers often find themselves at odds with each other. But one 15-year-old will likely have a newfound respect for his educational mentors after they performed CPR to save his life.
The 15-year-old’s heart suddenly stopped beating and things looked grim until the heroic, collective effort of a group of teachers brought him back.
The student went down outside a third-floor classroom at Riverdale Collegiate. Teacher Ryan Wakelin was the first to reach him. “His head (was) very close to the door, and it was scary to see … his head was … leaned back, mouth open, gasping.”
Ryan told students to get more help. Seconds later, fellow teacher Chip Tompkins arrived.
“I used my hand to feel for the carotid artery and there was no pulse,” he remembered. “I put my face down. I could not feel any breath. I could not hear any breath.”
Tompkins knew what he had to do next. He hadn’t performed CPR in over 35 years, but the techniques quickly came back to him in the heat of the moment.
He began the life-saving procedure, and in the meantime two more teachers arrived to aid in the rescue effort.
Lifeguard Cindy Cooper Elliott and phys-ed teacher Karen Gallagher took turns giving the teen chest compressions and life-saving breath.
“I would do 30 and then Cindy was on this side of him and she would tilt his head and plug his nose and give him two big breaths, and then I would immediately give 30 more compressions,” Gallagher said.
Paramedics soon arrived, and the teen was taken to hospital where he’s recovering. When principal Ralph Nigro went to visit him, the boy was doing his math homework.
He also relayed a message to the brave teachers. “He said, ‘please say thank you and that I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you,’ ” Nigro proudly explained.
By the end of this school year, all of Toronto’s public high schools will be equipped with defibrillators and staff will be trained in how to use them, so when an emergency arises, they’ll be even better equipped to perform a miracle like the one that took place at Riverdale Collegiate.
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