WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderEllis teacher saves student's life with CPR

Ellis teacher saves student's life with CPR

By Dani Maxwell

ROCKFORD (WREX) - A Rockford teacher saves the life of a student who collapsed on the playground. Sixth grader Corrina Carlos isn't sure exactly what happened that day, but she knows she might not be here if it weren't for a fast-acting assistant principal and one very calm teacher.

Corrina tried to remember what happened Monday at school. "I had felt dizzy. I guess I fainted or something."

When the bell rang that afternoon at Ellis Arts Academy, signaling the end of recess, most of the students ran back into the school. But Assistant Principal Charo Chaney and P.E. Teacher Penny Reber noticed a few girls stayed behind. Chaney says, "They were trying to lift another girl and we realized something was wrong."

The two ran over to where Corrina Carlos lay on the side of a hill. Her face was blue. Her eyes - rolled back. She wasn't breathing and they couldn't find a pulse.

"You just react to situations the way you're trained to," Ms. Reber immediately began mouth to mouth and chest compressions. Mrs. Chaney had someone call 911 and an ambulance was on the way.

Corrina's mom , Yaya Trejo, was in the car when she got the call. "They said, 'What hospital do you want me to take them to?' and I'm like, 'What's wrong? What happened?' They said Corrina had not woken up and I was panicking."

Corrina was a little panicked too when she finally came around. Trejo says, "I asked her what was the first thing you remembered when you opened your eyes and she said her coach was looking at her weird, but what she didn't know was that they had done CPR on her."

Not everyone in Rockford schools is trained to give CPR, but Mrs. Chaney would like to see that changed. "You never know what area an incident will occur and if they're on the other side of the building, it may take some time to get there. It would be nice if we had everyone trained in first aid and CPR."

Corrina is thankful Ms. Reber is. She wants to give her this message: "Thank you Ms. Reber for saving my life!"

Corrina's mom says doctors think she may have a heart problem, but they're still checking her out.