N. CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – A South Carolina school nurse saved the life of a Gordon G. Garrett Academy of Technology student.
Teacher Amy Brunson took her student seriously when he complained of fatigue and a leg cramp that kept him up all night. She sent him to the clinic to see Nurse Rader.
Nurse Rader’s training and instincts went into overdrive. “My mind went to hydration and as we talked, he commented he was thirsty and had to use the restroom a lot,” said Rader. “That was a signal to me that this could be serious.”
Rader called the student’s mother, who came immediately to the school to take him to the emergency room. “The staff at the hospital couldn’t measure his blood sugar levels because they were so high,” said Rader.
The student was diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis.
Rader says situations like this prove the importance of having a school nurse on all campuses.
“Had the teacher not followed her gut instinct and insisted he come to the clinic things could have gone differently,” said Rader.
Ms. Brunson says she noticed something was off with her student after only speaking with him for a few minutes.
“Teachers really need to be vigilant and they need to have conversations with their kids on a daily basis and really you know to pay attention to their kids,” said Brunson.
