In April, Parkview Christian Academy teacher Karen Lanehart used her American Red Cross CPR and First Aid training to save a choking kindergartner in her Yorkville classroom. Her quick thinking restored the child’s breathing, and on Wednesday, she was honored with the Red Cross Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders during a ceremony at Parkview Christian Academy.

The event brought together students, faculty, and staff, along with the child and her parents, to celebrate Lanehart’s calm and courage. Also recognized was Levi Gotte, the Red Cross instructor who taught Lanehart’s CPR and First Aid course. Gotte, Managing Member of Ospiria Training & Consulting Solutions, received the Red Cross Lifesaving Instructor Award for his dedication to empowering others with lifesaving skills.

On April 7, 2025, while supervising lunch in a kindergarten classroom, Lanehart noticed a student choking and unable to make a sound. Acting immediately, she performed abdominal thrusts until the child’s airway was cleared and breathing resumed. She then took the student to the nurse, where their parents were contacted.

“At first, I was scared when it happened, but then I remembered I had just taken the training two months earlier,” Lanehart said. “I realized I was prepared to handle it. The training helped me stay calm, and it was exactly like we practiced. I’m so grateful I had that training so I could act when it mattered most.”

The Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders is the highest award given by the Red Cross to individuals or groups who save or sustain a life using skills learned in a Red Cross Training Services course.

“We’re extremely proud to present a Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders to Mrs. Lanehart,” said Laura Muriello, Executive Director for the Illinois River Valley Chapter of the Red Cross. “Her actions exemplify our mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.”

Red Cross training gives people the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency and save a life. A variety of online, blended (online and in-person skills session) and classroom courses are available at redcross.org/takeaclass.

If you or someone you know has used skills and knowledge learned in an American Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain the life of another individual, visit LifesavingAwards.org to nominate, recognize, or be inspired.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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