Gervais staffer performs CPR to help save eighth-grade girl

When the 911 operator recommended someone begin CPR on the unconscious student, there was a split second when Gervais Middle School staff froze.

The first to respond was Fenya Aman, maybe the least expected because she’s 8 months pregnant.

She knelt beside the girl and began applying 30 chest compressions, then giving two rescue breaths, over and over, just as she was taught in her recertification class last December.

"I remember the guy at the training actually saying bad CPR was better than no CPR," she said.

By all accounts, Aman did it by the book.

The 14-year-old girl survived and was able to return to school within a week, although she's not been cleared to participate in P.E., which is where the May 21 episode began.

What caused Alison Tinoco to lose consciousness at the end of class that morning remains fuzzy. She's been seen by a cardiologist — her heart checks out — and may undergo further tests after seeing her primary physician next month.

One explanation given to the family was that Alison's body and brain could have just switched off like a robot because of stress. Her eighth-grade promotion is just around the corner.

The seriousness of what happened is not lost on her.

"It was scary," Alison said. "When you actually feel like you're going to die, it's scary."

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She and her parents are thankful for the quick actions of Gervais staff, the treatment and transport of Woodburn Ambulance paramedics, and the continued care of Legacy Silverton Medical Center personnel.

The outcome might not have been as successful if not for Aman.

"This is exactly why it's so important for people to get trained in CPR," said Toni Grimes, operations manager for Woodburn Ambulance.

Alison could have received aid from any number of individuals at her school.

More than half of the district's staff is First Aid, CPR and AED certified. The district offers combined training twice yearly to staff designated by supervisors based on need or exposure, and to others who are interested.

Aman, a behavior specialist who works under the school's social worker and psychologist, was designated for training by Principal Ann O'Connell.

"In 35 years of education, I've never seen anyone have to use CPR in a school setting, and I've worked in Life Skills with medically fragile kids," O'Connell said. "I can't express how proud I was of Fenya, truly. She really rose to the occasion."

Aman describes her primary job at the middle school as one of "daily drama diffusion."

But not this kind of drama.

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Dizziness leads to black out

It started just as Alison's P.E. class was winding down that morning.

She went into the locker room feeling dizzy and then tried to leave because she said she felt hot and needed air. That's when she blacked out.

The next thing she remembers is seeing her dad, Jorge Tinoco, in the ambulance. He was able to get to the school before they transported her.

"I started crying," she said. "I didn't want to scare my dad. I was worried about him."

Recollections by Gervais staff and video from the school's surveillance system fill in what happened in between.

A teacher and at least two students can be seen running out of the locker room for help when they realize Alison's passed out in the doorway. A student informed Aman, who was on her way out of the gym.

Aman and history teacher Toni Johnson found Alison lying face down on the floor, her long, dark hair covering her face. They kept calling her name, trying to wake her.

Alison said she could hear them, but wasn't able to respond.

Students clustered outside the locker room, some concerned, others oblivious to what was happening and playing basketball in the gym.

Aman and Johnson gently turned Alison onto her back.

Her breathing was shallow and wheezing. Their first thought was she was having an asthma attack. Alison had one at school a couple of months ago, also in P.E. class. Until then, no one knew she had asthma.

Mom Karina Ventura said Alison was diagnosed at age 4, but no one notified the school or brought in an inhaler.

Asthma attacks can cause someone to feel light-headed, like they're going to pass out. Severe attacks can cause someone to lose consciousness, suffer brain damage and even die.

Alison had her inhaler on this day, but it didn't seem to help.

P.E. teacher Brandon Jones attempted to administer a dose, but Alison's breathing was too shallow for her to fully inhale and allow the medication to be effective.

Aman checked her pupils, but Alison's eyes are so brown she couldn't tell if they were dilated. Aman couldn't feel a pulse because she has carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes numbness, tingling and pain in the hands and is common during pregnancy.

When it appeared to staff that Alison wasn't just having an asthma attack, someone in the front office called 911. The call came into METCOM in Woodburn at 9:52 a.m.

The 911 operator eventually was patched through to O'Connell in the gym, put on speaker phone, and soon after made it clear someone needed to start CPR.

"To be honest, I didn't even think about my pregnancy," Aman said. "I just remember thinking if something happened to her and I was sitting here and didn't do anything, how could I look at myself?"

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Everyone knows everyone

Aman grew up in Gervais and attended kindergarten through 12th grade in the district.

"A lot of these kids, I've gone to school with their parents and aunts and uncles," she said.

She doesn't know Alison's parents well, but this is a small school (247 students) in a small town (population 2,707). Everyone knows everyone.

Aman said she felt an odd sense of calm as she began doing compressions and rescue breaths. But still, she questioned out loud whether she was doing it correctly.

The 911 operator offered encouragement, saying something like, "You're doing great. Keep doing that until paramedics arrive."

Woodburn Ambulance arrived at the school at 9:59 a.m., seven minutes after the 911 call, according to the computer-aided dispatch report from METCOM. It's estimated Aman did CPR for about 5 minutes.

"They actually got there really fast. I was impressed," she said. "My arms were getting tired."

Paramedics went to work, attaching monitors to Alison's chest. En route to the school, they were alerted by dispatch that the call had been escalated from unconscious female to cardiac arrest.

Gervais Middle School has an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the front office, at the other end of the building, but it wasn't needed.

After this incident, O'Connell is on a mission to get one for the gym.

Aman's husband, Andrew, who teaches language arts at the school, was one of the staffers directing paramedics to the gym. He was concerned about the baby when he found out she was the one doing CPR.

They have a 2-year-old daughter and are expecting a son July 11. Mom reports the baby's doing great since all the excitement, joking he could be born an adrenaline junkie.

One of the first people Aman shared the news with outside the school was her brother, Freddy Usoltseff, who wanted to hear all the details. He's a former Lifeflight paramedic in the Los Angeles area. Their dad's a former volunteer firefighter.

Her brother gave her kudos for a job well done, asking if anyone took a photo of the 33-week-old pregnant lady doing CPR.

She's been a bit embarrassed by all the attention and couldn't believe how pregnant she looked on the surveillance video.

School administrators are proud of her response and the chance to publicize something good happening at a school for a change.

Alison was treated and released from the hospital the same day. She and her mom dropped by the school two days later to get her things.

When Alison saw Aman in the hallway, she gave her a big hug. Mom said her daughter remembered someone breathing for her.

"I'm glad I was able to do it," Aman said. "I hope that I never have to do it again."

"Forward This" taps into the heart of the Mid-Valley — its people, history, and issues. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her the rest of the week on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ. To support her work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal.