Middle school students turned into young heroes on April 22 when their bus driver suffered a medical emergency on a Mississippi road.
The Hancock County School District’s video footage showed the tense moments when driver Leah Taylor lost consciousness as the bus was still moving, Fox News reported Tuesday.
However, the children she was transporting noticed what was happening and quickly took action to stop the bus and make sure she and everyone else were safe.
The clip showed Taylor behind the wheel with her head down as one student grabbed the wheel and guided the bus. Taylor appeared to regain consciousness for a few moments and was seen gesturing towards her throat. The students gathered around her as the bus came to a halt. After passing out about two more times, the bus driver was eventually able to produce her medication before blacking out again, and a girl wearing pink administered it to her as she continued to struggle.
Several of the students called for help during the emergency:
After the students saved her life, Taylor made a full recovery and had kind words for her rescuers, stating, “I’m grateful for my students. They’re the ones that saved my life and everybody else’s on that bus.”
The young people, identified as McKenzy Finch, Jackson Casnave, Darrius Clark, Kayleigh Clark, and Destiny Cornelius, received tons of praise for their efforts at a recent school pep rally.
Hancock Middle School Principal Melissa Saucier said she was not surprised by the students’ actions, adding, “This emergency situation could have definitely been detrimental and they handled it exactly how they should have. We’re extremely proud of them.”
People with asthma suffer an attack when their symptoms worsen, and they can come on quickly or gradually, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Asthma is a lung condition that makes your airways narrow. It causes symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath that make it hard to breathe. Most people with asthma can manage their symptoms with a combination of medication and habits. But sometimes, asthma symptoms flare up and worsen more than usual. This is an asthma attack,” the website read.