Florida high school student uses CPR training from class to save baby’s life
Thankfully, he was paying attention.
Every student has pondered at least once or twice, when will the lessons they’re being taught in school become useful in real life. It’s an age-old question frustrated pupils pose to their teachers during lectures on difficult subjects — we’ve all been there. Recently, a student at Crestview High School actually had to apply the skills he learned in class to save a life. Now, he’s being lauded as a hero.
According to ABC-affiliate station WEAR, Savion Harris, a junior at Crestview High in Florida was almost finished with his shift at the Thai restaurant he works at when the mother of a child came running downstairs desperate for help. Her son, Max, was unresponsive and turning blue in her arms.
Luckily, Harris, who not long ago completed a CPR training at school, was there to help. After he called 911, which is the first step when responding to someone who is not breathing, Harris recalled the lesson he had learned in class.
“I did two fast compressions, two deep fast compressions, and then gladly, the baby started crying,” said Harris. “It was a very short, but like intense couple of minutes. Just like two or three minutes at the most, but it was extremely intense.”
Harris also shared with the Northwest Florida Daily News, once the baby began crying, he knew the child was getting oxygen to his lungs. “The color started returning to his face, and at that point, the ambulance arrived,” he said.
Harris’ high school offers CPR certification within its allied health career and technical education program. His teacher, Dr. Tammy McKenzie, was “very proud to see” one of her students “able to jump into action.” “We practice a lot,” she told WEAR. “The students in this class understand the significance of learning those life-saving skills.
Harris’ High School honored his heroics in a post on Instagram. “This weekend, Savion Harris used skills he learned in Dr. McKenzie’s class to help a six-month-old baby who was blue and not breathing!” the school captioned the image of Harris next to the school’s principal. “In a moment of critical need, he put into action his Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers training. His quick thinking had him performing chest compressions with EMS on the line and the baby began crying.”
“We’re so proud of him and the life-saving service he rendered!” the school continued. “This is just one of the reasons why having CTE in our schools matters!!”