Teacher Saves Student Choking on Chicken Nugget

By Noelle Kachinsky

Published: November 18, 2008

An Upstate teacher says it was a mother’s instinct and a lesson she learned from a TV show that may have helped her save a student’s life.
First grader Kenia Valadez was choking when Sylvia Landrum sprang into action at Chapman Elementary in Spartanburg District 7 last week.

“To be honest, I was thinking she was going to die,“ says Landrum of the terrifying experience.  It was chicken nugget day,
and Landrum says she noticed something was wrong with her student.  “I said, Kenia are you ok, and she looked up at me - eyes as big as quarters, and she was pale…“  An entire chicken nugget was lodged in Kenia’s throat.  Ms. Landrum remembered a show she has seen only a week earlier called “What should you do?“  She called for the school nurse and sprang into action - performing two upward thrusts on Kenia’s belly.  Out flew that chicken nugget.  The first grader teacher says it was a mom’s instinct that took over.  “I just did what I had to do, because I’ve seen where this has killed some children before, so I did what I had to do to save her.“

It was a life-saving lesson for this teacher and her students, whom she now tells to chew, chew, chew.  Ms. Landrum says she now believes all teachers should receive training as to what to do when someone is choking and CPR.  She says she is going to suggest the entire district do it, even if it’s after school one day, because in this case she says, we could have been doing a very different interview.  According to the American Red Cross, more than 3000 people die from choking each year.

Teacher reacts quickly to choking child:  http://www.goupstate.com/article/20081118/ARTICLES/811181038/1083?Title=Teacher_acts_quickly_to_rescue_choking_child