Substitute teacher saves second-grade student choking during lunch

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (InvestigateTV) - As a source of knowledge and empathy, educators can have a major impact on their students’ lives.

And in some cases, teachers even save lives.

Donna Hale was working as a substitute for a paraprofessional inside a second-grade classroom at Wright City West Elementary School when she accompanied students to lunch.

“I saw a couple of girls’ faces that were overwhelmed,” said Hale. “Something was going on.”

Hale then saw another student in her class, Zane Cisneros, struggling to breathe nearby.

“He just had these huge tears running down his face,” she said. “He was just scared but was frozen.”

Cisneros said he was eating nacho chips when he accidentally swallowed a large piece without chewing it.

“I was eating chips and I thought one chip was fully crunched, but it wasn’t,” he said. “I swallowed it and I started to choke.”

Hale made her way over to Cisneros and noticed his coat’s zipper had broken.

“I wanted to get the coat out of the way before I started trying to help him, so I asked him if he trusted me as I started trying to get it off of him,” said Hale.

She worked quickly to pull the coat over his head before doing the Heimlich maneuver. After a few attempts, the chip was dislodged from Cisneros’ throat and he was able to chew it properly before swallowing it.

“I feel like she took Zane and treated Zane like he was her own and thank you is not enough for that,” said Katie Hansen, Zane’s mom. “We’ve talked now about eating slowly and making sure everything is chewed before moving on to the next bite!”

Hale said she picked up substitute teaching a few years ago after relocating to the area to be closer to her grandchildren.

She said after a few years of struggling to find her place, she now feels at home at Wright City West Elementary.

“It’s my little village I’ve finally found,” she said. “It took me a couple years to find a place where I feel comfortable and can make a difference.”

Hale’s actions were recognized at the Wright City School District’s November board meeting.

“I think she was smart and really brave,” said Cisneros. “I trusted her a lot because I always help her.”

Hale said Zane is known as a helper, both amongst his friends and in the classroom.

“Zane was in the class with the student I was assisting and was always so helpful when I was learning the ropes,” she said. “He helped me and now I’ve helped him.”