Instructor's Healthcare Training Saves Student's Life

In an emergency, the difference between life and death often comes down to who's in the room. For Medical Assisting Instructor Kaydee Clark, that difference was 20 years of healthcare experience and a gut feeling she couldn't ignore.

"As soon as she walked in the classroom, I knew something was wrong," Clark said. "She was upset and late for class and this is a student who is never late."

Where others might have seen an overwhelmed teenager having a rough afternoon, Clark saw something else. A limp. Tears that didn't fit the student's character. Details that quietly caught attention.

Clark's instincts were built over two decades in healthcare, a journey that began in 2003 in the very same building where she now teaches. Today, she's pushing those skills even further, working toward her paramedic's license.

"I've been in the healthcare industry for more than 20 years," Clark said. "I think it was all the years of training that helped me know something was wrong."

Once the student sat down, Clark's role flipped from teacher to medical professional. She asked to examine the leg, and what she found alarmed her. The swelling was severe and unmistakable to a trained eye. She reached for her scissors.

"I asked her if I could cut the leg off," Clark said, smiling. "Then I said, 'can I cut your pant leg' she stopped crying for a second and we both laughed."

Clark pressed on, running through a mental checklist, asking about any recent cuts, scratches and insect bites, searching for a simple explanation. None came. The answers pointed somewhere more serious.

"I called on the radio for Miss Chandler to give me a second opinion but when she was off campus, I asked Mister Anderson to come take a look and we immediately called 911."

When paramedics arrived, they confirmed what Clark had suspected: a blood clot. The student was rushed to the hospital and taken directly into surgery, where doctors removed a massive clot that stretched from her groin to her mid-calf. It had likely been developing for months.

"I firmly believe it was her work ethic and drive to be here that saved her life," Clark said. "I know if I am not feeling well, I would just say I'm not going today. But she came to school."

The student, now recovering well, has college plans this fall and hopes to continue her medical training. Clark sees a bright road ahead for her, "She shows up and fighting through that is just a testament to her drive and determination".