It’s a good thing that Delilah DeRosa paid close attention when the subject of seizure care was discussed in her OTC Career Center Health Science class.
Not long after that section of the class was discussed, Delilah had to put her knowledge to use helping a student back at her high school after he suffered a seizure during class.
Delilah is a junior in the OTC Career Center. The Career Center allows high school students to take classes in technical education for half a day at OTC and spend half of the day in classes at their home high school.
DeRosa said the health science class she took at OTC, “really prepared me for when it happened. I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
The incident took place about three weeks ago at the Gloria Deo Academy; a private school in Springfield where DeRosa attends high school.
Delilah, 17, was in her class when she said some of the male students started “horsing around.”
“One of the boys collapsed and started having a seizure. Everyone looked around and didn’t know what to do. I did what I learned in the seizure care class,” she said.
I just put a jacket under his head and had some of the boys roll him on his side. Then he started to breathe. I took his vital signs and looked at his pupils. We got him some water and got him in a wheelchair.”
Faith Keithley, Delilah’s instructor at OTC, said her student assisted the patient correctly.
“She was able to keep him safe, maintain his airway and assist in his recovery,” she said. “She said she attributed her actions to the knowledge and skills she learned in the Health Science program.”
Of course, Delilah is modest about what she did.
“I feel like I didn’t do that much,” she said.
She wants to become a nurse. When she graduates from high school, she’ll receive a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate from the OTC Career Center.
“This is a great program for that,” she said.