A quick reaction from a New Iberia Senior High student is drawing praise from his principal and peers, who are now calling him a hero.
On a quiet Monday at NISH, an afternoon class turned into a life or death situation for one teacher. Lucky for her, De’lance Green was in her class.
"Everybody was doing their work and the teacher opened up a candy. I heard it but I wasn’t looking at her, then she walked to a student and said she was choking. Everybody in class just looked surprised. It just came to me to do the Heimlich maneuver. The first time I was a little rusty, it took me a couple of seconds to get it right and then I actually brought up the candy. I really saved somebody’s life," says NISH senior, De’lance Green.
Green hasn’t had any formal first-aid training, but he knew what he had to do.
"It just came to me to do the Heimlich maneuver. The first time I was a little rusty, it took me a couple of seconds to get it right and then I actually brought up the candy. I really saved somebody’s life," says Green.
"As a senior, definitely a role model, willing to help out and did it selflessly, willing to do it and go about his business. If another teacher didn’t call attention to it, we would have never known about it. So well deserving to give him this attention and compliment him on what he did," says NISH Principal Curt Landry
This experience now has De’lance thinking differently about his own future.
"I figured after school I was going to be a diesel mechanic, but this has opened up a new path for me. I’m thinking about becoming an EMT after high school because I like helping people so I think I’ll be the best guy for the job," says Green.
His teacher didn’t want to be interviewed, but like so many others at the school, she’s grateful for De’lance and his quick thinking.
