Queens
Follow us!


Queens Teacher Saves Student’s Life

Queens Teacher Saves Student’s Life


A Queens teacher saved a student’s life when the sixth-grader began having a seizure and stopped breathing, according to the New York Daily News.

Amy Spears, 44, a math teacher at Louis Armstrong Middle School in East Elmhurst, saw the girl collapse and start convulsing in the hallway outside her classroom. Then the teen stopped breathing.

“I started doing CPR immediately and called people to get help and call 911,” said Spears.

Spears, who has been a teacher for 21 years and lives on Long Island with her husband and two kids, gave the student one shock with a defibrillator with the help of Assistant Principal Dianne Hayden. Paramedics arrived shortly after and the child was then taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center. She is expected to make a full recovery.

“I never really thought I would ever have to do this," Spears told ABC News, "and I used to say to myself there's no way I'm going to be able to do this I would probably panic.”

NYC teachers receive CPR and AED training every two years. An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a medical device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm. If necessary, it delivers an electrical shock, known as defibrillation, which helps the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. It is the only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to operate tool for someone with no medical background, according to the American Red Cross. New York State law requires every school in the state to have at least one AED machine in the building.



"This is a team effort," Hayden said. "We train together. We do the drills together and we worked together yesterday and we're happy for the outcome." 

RELATED: Queens Schools and Education Guide

Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest updates on fun events and other family activities in your area.

More News Articles:

Latest News:

Family Activities:

Have a Laugh:

Author: Linda DiProperzio has written extensively on parenting issues for Parents, American Baby, Parenting, and Family Circle, among others. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons. See More

Featured Listings:

ISTEIN Education Center

ISTEIN Education Center

Forest Hills, NY We offer a multitude of programs including music, academic enrichment, and Chinese. All of our teachers are certified and have been teaching their pas...

All Star Studios

All Star Studios

Forest Hills, NY Classes offered include Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Theater, and Acrobatics for children starting at age 3 to Adults. Private classes and birthday par...

LIC Dental Associates

LIC Dental Associates

Long Island City, NY Long Island City Dental associates has redesigned the patient experience to create a dental practice that provides comprehensive, personalized, and qu...