After second-grade teacher Donna Campbell and Instructional Paraprofessional Lauren Yohn noticed a student was taking longer than normal for a bathroom break, Campbell went to check the restroom. When she arrived, she saw the student fall to the floor unconscious and immediately contacted Dean of Lower Elementary Theodore Eastman before calling emergency personnel.
That’s when Eastman’s instincts kicked in. He pulled the student out from underneath the stall, checked for a pulse, and immediately began administering CPR while paramedics were on their way. In these crucial moments, Eastman said he was thinking back to previous safety training.
“It was a flashback to Leadership Summit and the CPR training I received,” Eastman said. “I started giving chest compressions, checking for a response in between. I wasn’t getting any response, but after the third cycle, I got one, and we were able to bring them back.”
Emergency personnel arrived and continued providing care to the student. Thanks to this combination of efforts from Center Line Prep staff and paramedics, the student made it out of what could have been a tragic event.
(From left to right): Gard, Eastman, Campbell, and Yohn discuss safety and a situation where Eastman performed CPR on a student experiencing a medical emergency.
Yohn, Campbell, and Eastman were all recently honored by the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) Safety Team with Life Saving Awards for their efforts. While he is proud, Eastman was also quick to credit his team and the safety protocols in place at Center Line Prep.
“One of the most important things is fostering a safe and secure learning environment for our scholars,” Eastman said. “Whenever there’s an incident at school, we discuss it in our weekly admin meetings and talk over the situation so that we get better and grow.”
With this focus on safety, it’s no wonder the staff at Center Line Prep knew exactly what to do in this situation. What’s also clear is the passion they have for their students. This culmination of care and culture is the foundation at Center Line Prep and helped Eastman, Yohn, and Campbell respond.
“I truly love each and every one of our scholars,” Eastman said. “I know that regardless of if they have some challenges during the school day or they're dealing with some challenges at home, I'll be quick to lend a helping hand.”
Thank you for your life-saving efforts Theodore, Donna, and Lauren!
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About Center Line Preparatory Academy
Center Line Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Center Line, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through 12th grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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