L to R Bonnie Boersma, Roman McKenney, and Alina Velez celebrate a happy ending.
Fast thinking from a Longfellow New Tech Kindergarten student may have saved the life of one of her classmates. Five-year old Alina Velez was in the school cafeteria having lunch when she noticed a fellow kindergartner, Roman McKenney, struggling to breathe. Velez sprang into action and quickly shared the situation with volunteer cafeteria matron Bonnie Boersma.
Boersma performed the Heimlich maneuver on McKenney, who was choking on a french fry, and saved the day.
Boersma, an elementary school volunteer from Beacon Light Church in Black Oak, gave the credit to God for giving Velez the wherewithal to tell her what was going on. “God placed us both in the right place at the right time,” she said. “It all happened so quickly. She (Velez) came up to me and told me a boy was choking. I went over there, and he surely was. That’s when I did the Heimlich maneuver on him, and then he was okay.”
McKenney, who suffers from asthma, said he was frightened when he could not breathe.
“It felt like I was having an asthma attack and needed my inhaler,” he said.
Following the incident, McKenney said he made a new friend in Velez.
“I thanked her. I see her, but I’ve never talked to her, but she is my friend now,” he said.
As for her part, Velez described the situation. “I saved him. My brain told me it looked like he was choking, so I told her (Boersma).”
For her life-saving efforts, Boersma was honored with a plaque from Superintendent Dr. Sharon Johnson Shirley and the Lake Ridge New Tech School Board.
Velez was given the Longfellow New Tech Elementary School Hero Award for courageous behavior.
Longfellow Principal Pam Balint said she was thankful the incident turned out well.
“I am just so happy that Roman is okay,” she said. “I cannot say enough about the lifesaving actions of Alina and Mrs. Boersma. They are both heroes.”
Longfellow New Tech Principal Pam Balint poses with Longfellow Kindergarten student Alina Velez, recipient of the School Hero Award.
To learn more about the Heimlich maneuver, log in to Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/heimlich-maneuver