CROWLEY, Texas — On Wednesday, a Crowley ISD teacher performed the Heimlich maneuver on a student who choked during her fourth-grade class.
The 9-year-old, Sarai Ward, told WFAA she'd used her teeth to open a water bottle and inhaled the cap. With the plastic top lodged in her throat, Ward said she could not call for help.
"I couldn't really stand up, so it was hard," Ward said.
Ward's teacher, Mallorie McGlothlin, said the fourth-grader knocked over a desk chair.
"I will never forget the look that she had on her face or the color of her face," McGlothlin said. "That's just embedded in my mind."
The Deer Park Elementary School teacher raced from her desk and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on Ward. On the third thrust, the cap flew out of the 9-year-old's mouth.
"It didn't hurt," Ward said. "It was scary, though."
Crowley ISD teachers participate in Heimlich Maneuver training each year. McGlothlin credited the course with preparing her for the moment.
She'd never had to perform the Heimlich Maneuver during an emergency before, McGlothlin said.
"These students in my classrooms - they're my babies," the teacher added. "When I'm there, those are my kids. I'm their protector."
After saving the child, McGlothlin instructed Ward to take ten deep breaths to refill her lungs and calm the adrenaline. McGlothlin says she hopes the incident taught her students that breathing slowly is an effective way to relax during a stressful situation.
Students rotated to their next class a few minutes after Ward choked. McGlothlin, who's taught fourth grade for ten years, asked her next class to give her a five-minute break at her desk before she resumed teaching.
Ward was at school on Thursday. The pair hugged when she entered McGlothlin's class.
"I love her," Ward said with a smile, high-fiving her teacher.