By John Collins
The Lowell Sun
LOWELL, Mass. — Two students from Hellenic American Academy on Broadway Street were recognized by representatives of Trinity EMS on Wednesday for using skills they learned in Trinity’s CPR and Choke Saver programs to give emergency aid to a classmate who was choking on her lunch at the school.
Trinity Director of Business Development Chris Dick presented eighth-grader Kris Anderson and seventh-grader Zach Gaudet with plaques naming them “Honorary Junior EMTs.”
The boys used life-saving techniques taught to them by Trinity Education Specialist Dan Scanlon when he visited the school in June.
“It’s one thing to teach kids the techniques and information regarding CPR and Choke Saver,” said Scanlon. “It is a whole other thing to have them actually use it in a hectic setting and save a life.”
The boys’ skills were put to the test last Wednesday when Sovannida Vann began choking on her lunch.
“Without hesitation, (Sovannida’s) fellow eighth-grader, Kris Anderson, jumped up and started the Heimlich Maneuver,” Dick said in a press release.
While Kris assisted Sovannida, Zach notified the school nurse.
“As the nurse arrived on the scene, Kris had already dislodged the food and (Sovannida) was breathing again,” Dick wrote.
Trinity EMS, the largest provider of emergency medical services in the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire, “is continuously looking for opportunities to give back to the communities we serve, including by offering courses in CPR, first aid and Choke Saver in the public schools,” according to Dick.
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