Julia Koch is a first-grade teacher at the Edgewood Elementary School in Michigan in the United States of America. And she is being touted as a hero for saving the life of her student’s grandmother by displaying a fantastic presence of mind in a complex situation.
On 22nd September, Koch was teaching her class online when she received a call from Cynthia Phillips, the grandmother of one of her students. Phillips was having difficulty in charging her granddaughter’s school tablet and called the teacher to help her troubleshoot.
However, Koch noticed something wrong with Phillips’ voice and manner of speaking. The grandmother was slurring and her speech was indistinct.
“It was clear there was something very wrong. Her words were so jumbled, and I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say,” Koch told CNN. “She didn’t sound like herself.”
Displaying immense composure, Koch immediately called Charlie Lovelady, the principal of the school, and explained the situation to her. Lovelady then spoke to Phillips while asking one of the staff members to call 911 to seek help.
“I noticed her speech was impaired, and I asked her if she was alright, and she was stumbling over her words and it was getting worse by the minute,” Lovelady told CNN. “I knew the symptoms of a stroke because I lost my father from a stroke so I told her hold on and immediately got her help.”
Meanwhile, Lovelady also directed two staff members to drive down to Phillips’ home to check on her condition while the ambulance was already on its way.
With the timely help that she received, Phillips is recovering.
“I would have died if it weren’t for the teacher being so quick and fast about getting me help,” Phillips told CNN from her hospital bed.
“It made me so close to the staff and the principal, even the secretary who hurried to get me on the phone with the principal. They showed up at my house to make sure I’m okay,” she said through tears. “I thank God I didn’t die in front of my kids.”
“I’m so proud of my team, it just shows that we have wonderful people here who didn’t think twice about calling for help and jumping in the car to check on them,” Lovelady said. “I’m a very, very proud principal.”
The entire team at the school is being showered with accolades and praises for their wonderful effort in saving a life, and we thing they deserve it!
Don’t you think Koch and Lovelady have made a great positive difference to the society by their act? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
