Surprise teacher with EpiPen saved student's life during prom night
SURPRISE, Ariz. - A life-saving story has emerged out of the West Valley city of Surprise, where a student went into anaphylactic shock during his school's prom.
Luckily, fate stepped in to save the day.
Raymond Custer has always loved to eat shrimp, but he noticed lately that it made his throat itch. He was running late on prom night, so he gobbled down his dinner to get to the dance on time.
Then, the music stopped for Raymond, during the prom at Shadow Ridge High.
"I said hey man why aren’t you out on the dance floor? He said I think I need help. I said yeah, you need help to get out on the dance floor. He said no, I think I’m having an allergic reaction," said teacher Joseph Benton.
Word spread like wildfire. Teachers and the school resource officers rushed to help as the high school senior blacked out.
"I could feel Raymond’s breathing getting labored against my leg, and it was the most powerless feeling I’ve ever had. I honestly felt like he was going to die in my arms," said School Resource Officer Chris Thomas.
The dance music was Interrupted with a call for anyone with an EpiPen, and it was Anna Babler, who taught English at the school, who came to the rescue.
"I carry my own epinephrine all the time because of my own allergies, so we just rushed over and helped out as fast as we could," said Babler.
About the time the EMTs arrived, the epinephrine was taking effect. Raymond started spitting up the same shrimp that had tried to take him out., and a crisis was averted.
Raymond‘s father said his son Is back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. Raymond actually does not remember what happened, but the school district does, and they are now looking at ways to have EpiPens on campuses, as well as at school events.
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