Lubbock parents praise the good work done by two nurses at Lubbock-Cooper High School after they performed the Heimlich Maneuver on their choking child.
Bryce Coursey, 17, was eating his lunch early Thursday afternoon when he started choking. His parents, Clark and Shannon Kunkel, said they were both at work when they got the call.
“They are the worst call that you can get because you are helpless,” Clark Kunkel said.
School officials called 911 but the closest EMS station was about 10 minutes away. Matt Craft and his team from University Medical Center hurried as fast as they could.
“Our dispatchers, our communication specialists,” Craft said. “Told us that it may be a cardiac arrest now. They said the patient is very blue.”
His parents said nurses Shannon Borquin and Jessica Martinez performed the Heimlich Maneuver and was able to clear Bryce’s airway.
“They care, they care for the kids,they care for what goes on.” Clark Kunkel said. “They had no doubt in their mind of what they were going to do and how far they were going to go to take care of Bryce.”
“In my mind there’s no doubt about it she saved his life,” Craft said.
Bryce was checked out by a doctor at UMC and beyond a few marks on his back, he will be just fine. Bryce even went back to school on Friday.
We reached out to Lubbock-Cooper but they would not comment citing privacy laws.
Bryce’s parents say he was born with cerebral palsy and they pay extra attention to the people who care for him.
“Cooper ISD we wouldn’t go anywhere else for special needs,” Clark Kunkel said.