School Nurse Saves Choking Student
(CBS) -- Jason Skeate's recent visit to the school nurse isn't one of necessity. It's one of gratitude.
On Friday, school nurse Lisa Pickering saved his life.
"I am so glad I could be there for you buddy," Pickering told Jason after the incident.
Jason, a fifth grader at Bolingbrook's Jonas Salk Grade School, was eating a muffin during snack time. He says he and a friend were playing on a laptop when he began laughing.
The muffin lodged in his throat.
"I was on my friend's chair and he noticed I was choking," said Jason. "He started yelling, 'Hey, he's choking!' "
He said he was scared as his teached rushed to help.
His teacher tried unsuccessfully to help after pushing a call button for an emergency. Pickering ran down the hall, praying all the way.
"I was praying the whole way, God please let this be OK," Pickering said.
She found Jason on the ground, turning blue.
"The kids were excellent," but they were scared, Pickering said. "As I came in, they said, 'You need to help him. You need to save him. He's not breathing.' "
The nurse began doing the Heimlich Maneuver on the boy; on the third try, it worked.
Pickering and Jason's parents say his scare reinforced the importance of training and having a full-time nurse on-site.
"I feel an appreciation; I'm thankful; I have an appreciation for the school acting quickly," said Jason's mom, Eva Skeate.
"I do know that I saved his life, yes. It's huge," Pickering said.
Just a few days before Thanskgiving, Jason is giving thanks to Mrs. Pickering
"That little guy looked at me and said, 'I'm thankful for you,' " she said.
"It meant a lot."
