ICC Student Puts Lessons Learned In First Aid Class To Great Use

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A community college student is able to put lessons learned in a first aid class to use in two real life situations.

Like other students in this first aid class, Annika Arnold takes lots of notes.

About a month ago, James Harris, was teaching his first aid class at ICC how to do the heimlich maneuver.

A couple of days later,  Annika was able to put what she learned into practice when a co worker was eating lunch, and started choking.

“I jumped behind her, took about three or four different pumps, it finally dislodged and she was able to breathe again. She sat down and said, Annika, I really don’t know what you did, but you just saved my life,” Arnold said.

The following week, Harris taught CPR and had all of the students, including Annika, perform the procedure on a mannequin.

“I jokingly said, now if we have to do CPR anytime soon, something is going on, she did an excellent job with her checkoffs.  I’m at work on Friday, I hear my office phone ring, I answer , it’s Annika, she said Mr Harris, Mr Harris, you’re not going to believe this.  I said no, it didn’t happen, she said, yes, I did CPR this morning,” Harris said.

Annika wasn’t even supposed to be on campus that day, but had some paperwork to complete.

“I heard somebody yelling help, help, somebody fell out, I dropped what I had in my hands, dialed 9 1 1,” she said.

The second year ICC student assisted campus police with CPR until paramedics arrived.   Harris says he is proud of his student and Annika is thankful he could help, and believes the experiences are confirmation that she is supposed to pursue a nursing degree.

“I called my dad afterwards, I was crying, I said I feel like this is God telling me this is the right path I’m going on,” Arnold said.

Annika hopes to get into ICC’s nursing program, then continue her education at the W.