Lindstrom stands next to Board Vice President David Landon 

FEB.8,2023— What would you do if you found a student or a loved one choking? Would you know how to respond to that situation? A Pal-Mac Primary School teacher knew  what to do, and she recently saved a student’s life because of it. 

Universal Pre-K teacher Robin Lindstrom says she noticed a student was choking on a goldfish cracker. The student could not breathe, so she quickly sprang into action. She immediately had another teacher rush to get a school nurse as she stayed with the student and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Lindstrom worked diligently but calmly to get the cracker dislodged from the student’s throat so they could breathe again.

She says she's CPR certified and has also taken first aid training.

"You can take all that training, but in the moment you never know what's going to happen," Lindstrom said. "When I saw them and knew they needed help, I just went into action because I knew what they needed."

Thanks to her speedy efforts, Lindstrom's first aid was a success. The student was able to recover and breathe again. Training aside, Lindstrom is not an E-M-T or a doctor, but she didn’t have to be in order to step in and make a life-saving decision. Her ability to remain calm and focused during a critical situation led to a positive outcome.

She was recognized for her actions during a Board of Education (BOE) meeting Tuesday night. Board Vice President Dave Landon called Lindstrom up as part of the regular "Level Up" portion of the agenda and presented Lindstrom with a certificate.

Lindstrom was surprised by the recognition, as she first thought she was invited to speak about the U-PK program.

"I kinda felt like I don't need acknowledgment, I just did what was needed," Lindstrom said. 

Regardless, she kept a bright smile as the Board, and the people in attendance, clapped for her as she walked back to her seat.
 

Lindstrom says it would be beneficial for others to receive the same CPR and first aid training that she did.

So, we ask again, what would you do if you found a student or a loved one choking? Would you know how to respond to that situation?

Robin Lindstrom did, and we are even more grateful to have her as part of our Pal-Mac family because of it.