The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
School nurse saves girl with ‘Stop the Bleed’ kit
A day after Cumming Elementary School nurse Kathy Gregory received a shipment of emergency first-aid kits, she was called to use them in a life-saving incident.
Gregory attended a training session in January for a national incentive called “Stop the Bleed.” Funded by the Georgia Trauma Commission, the program aims to have every staff member at every school in the country trained to assist individuals suffering from traumatic bleeding. While the impe- tus was the increasing number of active shooter events resulting in mass casualties, the training can be used in many ways.
At the Forsyth County school, there was no shoot- ing, but a dangerous accident.
“I was standing outside the clinic when a teacher came running around the corner with a panicked expression on her face,” said Gregory. “‘Come quick, there’s blood everywhere,’ she told me. I grabbed one of the Stop the Bleed kits and ran after her.”
One of the students, 9-yearold Jennifer Leon-Lopez, had fallen on the playground and then another child had fallen on Jennifer, causing the arm to break in such a way that it was an open fracture that punctured the brachial artery. The small girl was losing a lot
of blood very quickly.
Gregory said she had been training teachers and other staff at the school for the past few weeks.
“I had so much practice at how to do it that my body just took over,” said Gregory. “Within about 20 minutes the EMTs were there to take over. They loaded her on the ambulance and were able to get her to medical care,” she said.
Leon-Lopez is expected to recover fully and is grateful for Gregory’s quick thinking and the nearby kit.
In 2017, Georgia launched the nationwide “Stop the Bleed” campaign, which puts knowledge gained by first responders and our military into the hands of the public.
The Stop the Bleed kit contains tourniquets, gauze and gloves as well as instructions.