Indiana kindergarten teacher saves student’s life

By Lauren Adams

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    CLARK COUNTY, Indiana (WLKY) — Just a few weeks into the new school year and Fallen Coleman and her teacher already have a bond closer than most.

It all started in the cafeteria at Pleasant Ridge Elementary in Charlestown.

“It was hard to breathe,” Fallen, 5, said, remembering the incident.

Last month, she began choking during lunch. That’s when Chene Hunt sprang into action to save her life.

Hunt had her eye on the class of 26 kindergarten students. Still, she had noticed almost immediately that something wasn’t right with Fallen.

“I looked at her, her lips started turning blue and that’s when I knew she was choking,” Hunt said.

“She started helping me. She gave me the Heimlich maneuver,” Fallen told WLKY.

While she was shaken and taken to the nurse’s office, Fallen was OK. Still, for her parents, it was a stop-in-your-tracks kind of phone call.

“My heart just dropped to my stomach and it just scared me but I was glad to hear she was OK, they were quick enough to relay that to me,” Dustin Coleman said.

It’s why Dustin and wife Shawna made it a point of coming to the school to meet the kindergarten teacher this week.

“It was scary but I’m glad my training served me well. It also served her well,” Hunt told the Colemans.

And it all happened on Hunt’s third day at Pleasant Ridge, after spending 18 years as an emergency room technician. Hunt was recently recognized at a school board meeting for her calm demeanor and quick actions.

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