HOLLAND, Mich. — Holland High School senior Giselle Torres saved a little boy from choking over the weekend.
Torres is a softball player. On Saturday, she and her teammates were having fun at their custom car and bike show.
“We were having a good time,” said Torres. “A few minutes before, I just seen this little kid riding his bike around the parking lot, and he was completely fine.”
She then heard someone call for help, and the team ran straight to the kid.
Torres has been trained in CPR three times. “I told the [boy’s] parents that I was in an emergency medical services class, and then I can help them, and the dad gave me his little boy right away.”
Thanks to her training, Torres knew exactly what to do. “This little boy was two years old. And he was on the smaller side,” explained Torres. “So I did use the infant version of it on him, and it worked.”
After she helped the boy, the child was able to go back to playing at the car show.
“The mom was just so happy,” said Torres. “She said she was thankful that I was there. And she was on the verge of tears telling me how thankful she was for me being in the right place at the right time and being willing to help and being so calm and grateful.”
Torres says that she is grateful she was trained in CPR, and hopes that sharing her story can help save even more lives.
“If you have the opportunity, especially to do it for free, you should take it because you could be saving somebody’s life one day,” said Torres. “And it could be somebody you love or it could be a stranger on the side of the road. And it’s just really important to have that skill set. And even if you’re not doing it perfect, doing it enough to save somebody’s life is all that you need just to hold them over until the professionals get there. It’s really something important that I think more schools should offer to CPR classes for their kids.”
After graduation, Torres says she hopes to become a cadet with the Holland Police Department, where her CPR training could come in handy. She will also attend Grand Valley State University, where she plans to study forensics and criminal justice.”
