http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/831644--teacher-saves-student-s-life-with-epipenSarah Batchelor knew what an EpiPen was.
But the 17-year-old with no known allergies had no idea the device would save her life.
Minutes after excusing herself from health class last Tuesday, the St. Jean de Brébeuf student was in a bathroom stall, hunched over the toilet.
Her face was swollen; her skin covered in rash.
She clawed at her own neck for air.
“I was nauseous and heaving. I couldn’t swallow,” says Batchelor, who managed to text-message a friend for help.
“All signs showed she was having an allergic reaction,” said Batchelor’s phys-ed teacher, Carolyn Mossey, the first person to find her. “I knew she was having difficulty breathing.”
Mossey, who has worked at the school for 23 years, pulled the panicking girl out of the stall with the help of Batchelor’s best friend, Jess Ciardelli.
They called 911. The dispatcher asked if the school had an EpiPen, an epinephrine injector.
Jess ran to the main office, where a staff member handed over an injector belonging to another student.
The dispatcher instructed the teacher to use it.
Now, she said.
Mossey removed the cap and brought the needle-like point down into Batchelor’s thigh with enough force to penetrate the denim of her jeans. The teacher injected the epinephrine, a drug meant to relax the airway muscles, decrease blood pressure and relax the stomach. Then she massaged the area for several seconds.
All teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board are required to complete online EpiPen training when notified about a student with anaphylaxis.
“It’s one of those life experiences that you never think you’ll have to use,” said Mossey, who had never before used an EpiPen on a student. “You become thankful that you have that information and that you can help that kid.”
Emergency crews told the family that Mossey’s quick action saved their daughter’s life.
“I don’t think she realizes how grateful I am,” says the teen, recuperating at home Tuesday after being released from hospital on Monday. “Every doctor said she saved my life.”
Batchelor, a soccer star and honour roll student, ended up in hospital a full week, suffering another four similar reactions there.
Doctors are working to determine the cause, and have referred her to a specialist.
Mossey doesn’t believe she’s a hero, despite the family’s praise.
“It’s a nice feeling to know. But I did what I was expected to do as a teacher and as a professional,” she says. “We’re teachers. We are caregivers. It was a no-thought process.”
Batchelor’s father, Ross, who is a captain with the Hamilton Fire Service, can’t thank the school enough for their quick actions.
“I believe they did a fantastic job,” he said. “They were prepared. They had a plan in place.”
“It was a shock,” says her mother, Allison. “We were very fortunate.
“What if she was driving? We were really lucky it happened at school.”
Ross, who in his 24 years as a firefighter has responded to many calls involving allergic reactions, says he hasn’t seen anything like this before. Usually, the allergy has already been identified, such as bee stings or peanuts.
Until they pinpoint Batchelor’s allergy, the teen has been prescribed three EpiPens: one for home, one for school and one to be kept with her at all times.
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