Five senior students of the Coleridge and Parry School were acknowledged during a special ceremony at the Ashton Hall, St Peter institution on Wednesday morning, for assisting an elderly man who collapsed last week.
Principal Sonja Goodridge, told the Daily Nation that she was proud of students, Nathanael Shepherd and Stefan Herbert who are both cadets, Tyrrek Howell, Naldo John and Shania Morris for their selfless act.
“Last Wednesday, I was told I had to call District E police station, but when I called, I was very happy to hear that two of our students had gone to the police station trying to seek help, but there were other students involved that were up the street. I spoke to the students the next day, and I was very happy to hear what they would have done so last Friday; we acknowledged them,” Goodridge said.
She added that past students had also called to praise the children for their kindness.
“I am very pleased and the entire Coleridge and Parry community because a lot of the old scholars have reached out to us, persons from everywhere even overseas have reached out to us and I’m happy that they could be the ones to acknowledge that the beacon on the hill, as we call ourselves, continues to be a beacon,” the principal said.
However, the students were adamant that they did not help the man for any recognition.
Shepherd said he saw the man needed help and that was when he decided to carry him to the Maurice Byer Polyclinic.
“I helped him up and then I started carrying him to the clinic. That’s when he said that he was short of breath and I asked Herbert to come and help me. Then we realised that he defecated on himself, so we kept walking until we got to a peach house where he said that he was short of breath again. So, I put him to sit down and I said that we needed to get medical attention [for him],” he said.
Howell and John then helped cadets Shepherd and Herbert carry the old man since he collapsed on the way to the clinic.
“The journey was a challenge because he kept saying that he was out of breath but I push him and motivated him to keep walking – take baby steps,” Howell recalled.
While the young boys did the heavy lifting, Morris was there to offer water and an umbrella for shade.
Goodridge and the students went to Government’s Headquarters in Bay Street, St Michael yesterday since Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley wanted to speak to the five heroes in private.
When asked how they felt on their way to meet the Prime Minister, the students said that they were nervous and anxious, but excited. (RT)
