13-Year-old saves Blair student’s life with Heimlich maneuver

The school nurse, Gina DiGiovanni, called Blair parent Vincent Sime Tagnes at his office March 1. She immediately let him know his son was okay and that Jordan was a hero. Jordan Sime Tagnes had apparently just saved a fellow student’s life by dislodging some food ( corn nuts ) by means of the Heimlich maneuver. The popular nuts apparently got stuck in the student’s throat.
“It was apparent that the food was impeding the student’s breathing and Jordan knew exactly what to do. It was incredible,” DiGiovanni said.
On that March 1, Jordan Sime Tagnes , 13, saw his friend turn bright red and immediately rushed to his aid in the outside playground during the lunch break . He knew something was terribly wrong ….and performed a technique he said he ”had seen in the movies” to save his friend’s life. It worked like a charm.
Maricela Brambila, the vice Principal said that Jordan rushed up to her at lunch break and told her immediately what he had done and then she contacted the school nurse for further evaluation.
The life he saved was that of a very appreciative classmate.
For his efforts, Jordan received a special risk taker certificate from the school and the accolades from people far and wide, but especially the thankful parents of the recipient of the abdominal thrust so expertly administered by Jordan Sime Tange.
For those of us who may have never done this, perhaps now would be a good time to learn:
Maricela Brambila, said that discussions have taken place at school after this incident and that all teachers and aids are qualified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver.
For a conscious person who is sitting or standing, position yourself behind the person and reach your arms around his or her waist.
Place your fist, thumb side in, just above the person’s navel and grab the fist tightly with your other hand.
Pull your fist abruptly upward and inward to increase airway pressure behind the obstructing object and force it from the windpipe.
If the person is conscious and lying on his or her back, straddle the person facing the head. Push your grasped fist upward and inward in a maneuver similar to the one above.
You may need to repeat the procedure several times before the object is dislodged…Don’t forget to call 9-1-1.

Jordan Sime Tagnes

-Story by Terry Miller

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