People
12-Year Old Hero From Surrey, British Columbia
LARISSA CAHUTE
When a young boy went into an epileptic seizure on a bus ride home from The Khalsa School in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on Friday, March 7, 2014, 12-year-old Pritika Kaur Bawa quickly went into action.
Pritika was first alerted when the Grade 3 boy complained of something in his eye. She went to help, but before she knew it “his whole body started shaking,” she said.
Pritika quickly let the bus driver know to pull over, then tended to the student.
“I lied him on his side -- not on his back,” she said, explaining that this would prevent him from choking — an important tip she learned in her Grade 7 health and career class.
She then called 911 and waited for emergency crews to arrive so she could answer any questions they had for her. The boy was taken to hospital, and later released to recover at home.
“She was so alert,” said Khalsa School Surrey principal Kamalpreet Kaur Baga. “She has made a big difference in somebody’s life.”
Pritika credited her quick response to her health and career class teacher, Harbax Kaur, who’s been instructing her Grade 7 students on safety issues from fire drills to hygiene to emergency situations.
Fortunately, the lesson plan for March was dedicated to epilepsy.
“Thank God we’d done that (lesson),” Harbax Kaur Jaswal said. “These skills they learn, they take them home -- this is a result of it.”
“I’m so proud of her.”
It took a lot of courage for Pritika to take charge of the situation, though.
“I was really scared,” she said, as she described the “horrifying” scene that played out on the school bus. “(But) I knew panicking and worrying would not do anything.
“It’s better to do something than to just stand there being scared.”
Pritika has since been visiting the Khalsa School Surrey classes to share her experience with its nearly 1,000 students.
“I’m really thankful I had a lot of information about this,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot … (and) I want (other students) to know and be prepared for the situation like I was.”
She also hopes to develop a summer school program so kids can continue to learn about important safety issues.
Meanwhile, principal Kamalpreet Kaur plans to honour Pritika for her “act of bravery,” by awarding her a medal, certificate and prize at the school’s awards ceremony in June.
“Some real learning is taking place in this classroom, which I’m really proud of,” said the Principal.
[Courtesy: The Province. Edited for sikhchic.com]
March 12, 2014
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), March 12, 2014, 8:20 PM.
Dear Betay Pratika: You have done the whole community proud with your immediate and timely first aid. The lesson taught by your Bhen Harbax Kaur ji got you down to business and saved a life.
2: Harinder Pal Singh (Punjab), March 13, 2014, 12:52 PM.
Balle, Balle, girl!