Quick response saves Cardinal student?s life

ELDON ? Instinct took over when Cardinal Community School District Superintendent Frank Shekleton and special education teacher Jesse Andrews were faced with an emergency situation.

Their quick response Tuesday saved a student?s life.

Seventh-grader Jesse Garber was sitting at lunch, laughing with friends when the walnut she was eating got stuck in her throat. She began choking, and a classmate went to the teacher?s table for help.

Shekleton and Andrews were the first to respond.

Andrews ran to the table and was preparing to do the Heimlich maneuver when she saw Shekleton approaching. Because he is bigger and stronger, she thought he could more easily execute the Heimlich and moved out of his way.

Shekleton tried the Heimlich a couple of times to no avail while Garber remained seated. Andrews called 911 and kept the other students calm, while Shekleton got Garber to stand and then successfully dislodged the walnut.

?It was pretty tense for a couple seconds,? Shekleton said. But Garber came out of the ordeal unharmed. She even completed the remainder of the school day.

?I was pretty much out of it,? Garber recalled. Other students have told Garber her face had turned purple.

Both Shekleton and Andrews said they reacted on instinct, drawing on past training and their experience as coaches.

Shekleton was a certified CPR instructor roughly 30 years ago; he also coached football for more than a decade. Andrews was trained in CPR approximately four years ago, but has let her certification lapse. She coaches three sports for Cardinal, and said as a coach, she?s always ready to respond when a player gets injured.

For the complete article, see the Thursday, Nov. 4, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.