Fremont student honored as hero
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Fremont second-grade student Madeline Kelenzon hugs Fremont Middle School student David Bailey after he was honored at a school board meeting. David helped the girl when she was choking on a piece of candy on a school bus. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79 |
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Fremont Elementary District 79 Superintendent Jill Gildea presents a plaque to David Bailey for his heroic efforts to help a fellow student. Courtesy of Fremont School District 79 |
A Fremont Middle School student has been honored by school officials and the local fire department for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a second-grader who was choking on the school bus.
On a Jan. 24 bus ride home from school, some students noticed Madeline Kelenzon choking on a piece of candy. Hearing the commotion, seventh-grader David Bailey of Hawthorn Woods jumped into action.
The 13-year-old grabbed the girl around the waste and succeeded in dislodging the candy so she could breath, Fremont Elementary District 79 officials said in a news release.
District 79 introduced CPR training into its middle school physical education curriculum for the first time this year. David has not yet cycled into the class but intends to this spring.
David learned how the Heimlich maneuver mainly from watching television, his mother, Lily Bailey, said in the release.
“For a young student to recognize the signs of a person choking and then to act on his instincts is pretty amazing,” Countryside Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Kris Kazian said.
Countryside Fire Protection District officials and the District 79 school board honored David at the Feb. 28 school board meeting for his quick actions in saving Madeline’s life.
As part of the honor, David was given a plaque and a ride to school on a fire truck.
