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Boone County school nurse saves student during life-threatening medical emergency

Boone County school nurse saves student having a medical emergency
Posted at 11:29 PM, Sep 30, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-01 10:40:25-04

Two nurses, a bus driver and a police officer all came together in Boone County to help save a boy in the middle of a life-threatening medical emergency.

Roman is a freshman at Cooper High School. He has spinal muscular atrophy and he's unable to move any muscles.

Boone County school​ nurse Amy Schroder explained that Roman requires a ventilator.

“His ventilator breathes for him,” Schroder said. “Without that, he's not able to breathe on his own at all."

Last Wednesday, as the bus was parked 15 minutes away from Roman's home, his ventilator battery died.

It took quick thinking to keep him alive.

Schroder rushed to the bus to relieve another nurse and to take over mechanical breathing for Roman. Her 23 years of being a labor and delivery nurse had prepared her for this.

"​You always prepare for the worst,” Schroder said. “I think that's kind of the same with Roman. He's easy to take care of on a day-to-day basis."

911 dispatchers told the bus driver to stay put.

Susie Anderson, Roman’s mom, knew what her son needed.

"She knew what I was going to say,” Anderson said of Schroder. “'Get him home. Get him to power. That's all he needs.'"

Fifteen minutes later, Roman was off the bus and at home.

Now Roman and his mom are doing great.

"I'm thankful. If they didn't know what to do, it could've been a whole different situation," Anderson said. "Thankfully we have good nurses, ones that'll take care of him and love him just like I do."