3 East Hamilton Middle/High School teachers honored for saving student's life

photo School nurse Lynne Henry and teachers Bailey Reeves, Holly Hamilton and Ryan Cooper, from left, were honored at a school assembly Wednesday at East Hamilton Middle/High School in Chattanooga for their role in saving the life of student Joe'l Ervin. The teachers began CPR and used a defibrillator to resuscitate Joe'l after he collapsed in gym class, and the school nurse took over care until emergency responders arrived.

East Hamilton Middle/High School honored three teachers Wednesday morning for saving a student's life.

On Aug. 15, Joe'l Ervin, 13, was playing basketball in the gym when his vision darkened, he told the Times Free Press in an interview. His head felt heavy, and he stumbled into a mat on the wall near the basketball hoop.

Friends saw him collapse, and he went into a seizure. Soon after, his breathing and heart both stopped.

Three physical education teachers -- Holly Smith, Bailey Reeves and Ryan Cooper -- ran to his aid. While Cooper and Smith began CPR, Reeves ran to get the automated external defibrillator (AED) from between the two gyms.

Reeves said she had never used an AED before except during training, but she was too focused to be nervous.

"I think your body just takes over at that certain point," she said.

Reeves shocked Joe'l's heart, and he regained consciousness.

Joe'l went into a second seizure as the ambulance arrived. He next remembers waking up in the ambulance, where he said he couldn't move at first.

"For a second, I thought I was paralyzed," he said.

He was taken to Children's Hospital at Erlanger, and was later flown to Vanderbilt in Nashville for emergency surgery. He needed a defibrillator implanted to regulate his heart.

At an assembly in front of the middle school students Wednesday, Joel's aunt and uncle, Pamela and Kevin Baker, and his grandmother, Cindy Hitchcock, said the doctors at Vanderbilt knew the teachers saved him.

"Everyone told him he would not be here if it weren't for you guys," Hitchcock told them, before starting to cry.

Hamilton County Emergency Medical Service representatives, as well as school board representatives, were present as the teachers were awarded gift cards from local businesses, including Publix, Bi-Lo and Massage Envy. Joel's family received a $100 gift card from Chick-fil-A.

Principal Gail Chuy said there are now plans to certify all teachers in CPR, in case an emergency happens in their classroom. Although training had already been discussed, Joel's crisis made it certain.

Chuhy said it was amazing to watch the three teachers work together as a unit when she arrived on scene.

"If anything happens to me," she said at the assembly, "I hope I'm near them."

Joel said he is extremely thankful to the teachers who saved his life.

"I love 'em," he said. "And if I had everything in the world -- anything in the world -- I would give it to them."

Contact staff writer Hannah Smith at hsmith@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6731.

Upcoming Events