HENDERSON (KTNV) — A small plastic bottle cap turned a normal school day into an emergency, but let me share with you a story about the quick actions of one heroic teacher that saved the day.
“You know you always hear about the fight, flight or freeze and I think I definitely have that mindset to fight," said Yvette Flowers, a fourth grade teacher at Pinecrest Academy of Nevada Sloan Canyon in Henderson.
Last week, Mrs. Flowers saw a student in trouble in her classroom.
“I saw one of my students just coughing and spitting in the trashcan," Mrs. Flowers said. “I remember as soon as I arrived close to that student, they spun around and I could just see the look of fear and terror on their face.”
Mrs. Flowers said the student mouthed to her that he couldn't breathe and that the bottle cap was stuck in his throat, so she sprung into action.
“I spun the student around and then immediately started performing the Heimlich remover and after three strong thrusts, I was able to dislodge the cap out of their throat," Mrs. Flowers said.
She saved fourth grader Leonidus.
“I was just so grateful. I feel like I owe her everything at this point," said Brianne Filimona, the mom of Leonidus.
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Brianne says her son is the youngest of five. He's a fun-loving boy that has a great sense of humor. I asked her if she would consider Mrs. Flowers to be a hero.
"Absolutely she saved my baby," Brianne said.
She tells me she's relieved but still terrified.
“I couldn’t imagine being in this world without him," Brianne said. “You know when we got home I just grabbed him and we were just crying and every emotion.”
Mrs. Flowers says as both a teacher and a mother, it was just second nature for her to help a child in need.
“They’re my kids and my responsibility, so I just knew that motherly instinct took over and I jumped into action," Mrs. Flowers said.
She told me what she believes happened to Leonidus is part of a social media trend, where students poke a hole in a bottle cap, then squirt water into their mouth. This time, it caused a freak accident.
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Mrs. Flowers says she's glad she was ready.
“I’ve been trained in CPR many times before and I just think it’s just having that knowledge and experience that just stuck with me," Mrs. Flowers said.
Mrs. Flowers tells me she just hopes more people will get CPR training because you never know when you might need to act as quickly as she did to save a life.
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