Fast-thinking fourth graders praised for aiding teacher having seizure

A fast-thinking trio of Hillcrest Elementary fourth graders are getting praise and recognition for coming to the aid of a teacher suffering from an apparent seizure.

Video of the incident shows students tossing paper airplanes across the room during a recent STEAM (Science, Technology & Engineering, Art and Mathematics) class. In the frenzy, the three classmates notice that substitute teacher Jeronica Hampton appears to become lethargic and unresponsive.

Kambrea Walker, whose grandmother, like Hampton, has epilepsy, recognized the teacher was having a seizure. She and classmates Malani Sherrod and Ava Brown rushed to assist Hampton, leaning her back in her chair and running to the office to get the school nurse.

“If (they) hadn’t known the signs, they wouldn’t have known to set me back,” Hampton told school officials. “So much more could have happened. I am so grateful.”

The city Board of Education honored the girls at its meeting Monday night.

“The way they stepped in and helped their teacher, that lets us know our parents who are here with us taught them what to do,” said interim Superintendent Marcee Pool. “They helped their teacher. They kind of got things under control, and they went and got the nurse. All the things you want to do in a situation like that.”

As Kambrea tended to Hampton, who had slumped forward in a chair, Malani fetched the nurse. Meanwhile, Ava, who was unable to attend Monday’s meeting, restored order in the classroom,

“She got the other students to get in their desks and be quiet,” Pool said.

CBS News’ national desk has contacted the schools about a feature on the girls’ efforts, which could air soon, district spokesman Jason Halcombe told the city Board of Education. 

The video of the incident is already a hit on social media. As of Monday, it had been viewed a whopping 655,890 times.

“It’s been the most-watched thing we’ve ever made,” Halcombe said.