KENNEWICK, Wash. — Five staff members at the Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick worked together to save the life of a seventh grade student, according to a news release from the Kennewick School District. The student was revived after his heart stopped in class; he is now recovering and reportedly expected to come back to school soon.
The seventh grader has a seizure disorder, according to KSD. It was reportedly not uncommon for him to have seizures at school. However, he had a one-on-one paraeducator for years, Courtney Bissinger, who “recognized something was different this time.” He stopped breathing and his face lost color. She called for help, getting the attention of his P.E. teacher, Shaun Suss and some other staff members.
Suss sprinted to the office and called an ambulance. Kurtis Clawson, teacher and former Marine with medical experience, was nearby and rushed to the gym with counselor and coach Ben Schuldheisz. They both felt for a pulse, but felt nothing, according to the news release. Neither did Ken Lattin, retired police officer and Desert Hills security.
Schuldheisz grabbed the automated external defibrillator (AED) near the gym. He used it to shock the student, then do chest compressions following the instructions. This led to the student’s color returning, and he could breathe on his own before medics arrived, according to KSD. He was rushed to the hospital within 12 minutes of the seizure.
“To see the way they all reacted, it’s pretty special,” said Principal Casey Gant. “[The student] is going to come back to us, and the only reason is because of this crew.”
The staff is reportedly looking forward to welcoming the student back, when it’s time.
“These are our kids. We see the good in them,” said Shuldheisz. “When one of them is hurting, it’s hard. It affects you personally because these are our kids… We’re excited to see him. I’m guessing it will sink in a little more then, when we see him back running the halls, laughing and joking. That will be a fun day.”
