Ginger Maxville, a school bus driver in Oklahoma, expected that Spring day in 2016 to be much like any other. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, she brought children safely to and from school as usual, but that day she also saved a life!
There were several children on Ginger’s bus and she could hear them laughing, playing, and behaving like normal kids. It was a perfectly ordinary start to the day. But then she heard choking sounds. It’s every parent’s nightmare: their child choking to death on some small object they foolishly (or accidentally) swallowed. Whatever is blocking the child’s airway has to be gotten out and fast.
In Ginger’s place, a lot of people would have been frozen with panic. But not this bus driver. She kept her cool and knew exactly what to do. With the other children watching helplessly while their classmate choked — for all they knew, he was about to die — Ginger pulled the bus over. She went over to the frightened, choking five year-old boy, picked him up, and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Out popped a penny! The bus driver had almost certainly saved his life. Once she made sure the boy was okay, she promptly got back to the business of driving the bus, as if it was all in day’s work. Still, she’s become something of a local celebrity in the town.
The drama was captured by bus’ surveillance camera, and subsequently got a lot of attention on TV and the internet. We’ve posted the video below for you. It’s a reminder that knowing first aid, including the Heimlich maneuver, is always a good idea. Whether or not you have children, there’s no telling when it could literally be a life-saver.
What did you think of this bus driver’s presence of mind? Let’s hear from you in the comments at Facebook. Don’t forget to like and share: you might inspire a friend to learn first aid.
