At the Red Cross, we are always ready to help after an emergency – because emergencies can happen at any time and anywhere. They can occur in the grocery store parking lot, at a family wedding, on a hot day at the community pool or even at the office or inside your own home. Regardless of where they occur, it takes someone stepping up to help to change the outcome.
The Red Cross of South Carolina is proud to honor Coretta Kea with an American Red Cross Lifesaving Award, the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action, which is presented to individuals who saved or sustained a life.
As a social worker on the Learning Support Staff at Bookman Road Elementary School, Coretta Kea is essential in helping to make sure students have what they need in this world of virtual learning.
It was last December, and Mrs. Coretta Kae was doing her job just like any other day – caring for students and ensuring they get the education and resources they need to succeed. She’d received an email from other staff members regarding a student’s absences since the return from Thanksgiving Break.
She quickly decided she would go to the student’s home to check on them and their guardian. When she arrived at the home, she rang the doorbell several times and then began loudly knocking on the door.
She could hear feet moving around in the home and then she heard someone trying to unlock the door. Finally, the kindergarten student opened the door and Mrs. Kae could tell something was wrong.
Coretta asked the student why she wasn’t in school, and the young child told her that their grandmother was sick. She mimicked the sounds her grandmother had been making which immediately worried Coretta.
Following protocol, Coretta went into the home to try to help the family. She found the grandmother lying on the floor incoherent and she couldn’t speak. The grandmother was a diabetic and had been released from the hospital the day before and had recently had a stroke which put her in the ICU for fifteen days.
Coretta called 911 and provided the information she had. Moments later, she heard firefighters on the way and left the home to help the first responders get to the grandmother.
Because of her diligence and her constant mobilization to ensure the welfare of students and families, Coretta was literally placed at the right place and the right time to ultimately save a life.
Lifesaving skills are vitally important, which is why the American Red Cross teaches safety and lifesaving skills courses for all ages. Lifesaving skills give individuals the confidence to act during emergencies, and it’s heroes like Coretta who jump into action who make all the difference.
You too can learn lifesaving skills and feel equipped to respond when an emergency happens. Visit redcross.org/takeaclass to learn more.