Posted on 10/09/2003 4:54:21 PM PDT by Blue Max
A teenager was disciplined for sharing medication used to treat asthma, but he said it saved his girlfriend's life, News2Houston reported Wednesday.
Andra Ferguson and her boyfriend, Brandon Kivi, both 15, use the same type of asthma medicine, Albuterol Inhalation Aerosol.
Ferguson said she forgot to bring her medication to their school, Caney Creek High School, on Sept. 24. When she had trouble breathing, she went to the nurse's office.
Out of concern, Kivi let her use his inhaler.
"I was trying to save her life. I didn't want her to die on me right there because the nurse's office (doesn't) have breathing machines," Kivi said.
"It made a big difference. It did save my life. It was a Good Samaritan act," Ferguson said.
But the school nurse said it was a violation of the district's no-tolerance drug policy, and reported Kivi to the campus police.
The next day, he was arrested and accused of delivering a dangerous drug. Kivi was also suspended from school for three days. He could face expulsion and sent to juvenile detention on juvenile drug charges.
The mothers of both teenagers are angry.
"My son will not go to jail. This is ridiculous," said Theresa Hock, Kivi's mother. "I believe he shouldn't be punished at all because he was helping her. She was in distress."
"If he hadn't helped her, she would have passed out or died or something because her asthma's been really bad this year," said Sandra Ferguson, Andra's mother.
The school principal said he couldn't do anything about it since Kivi not only broke school rules, but also allegedly violated state law.
"It's simply a matter that it's classified as a dangerous drug. It's an inhaler form, but yet, if it had been in pill form or any other, it's still classified as a dangerous drug," said Greg Poole, the Caney Creek principal.
"Would Caney Creek had want Andra to have died rather than my son to help her?" Hock said.
Poole said the nurse never considered Andra to be in a life-threatening situation.
The school district will hold a hearing on the matter Friday. Teenager In Trouble In Inhaler Incident Wed Oct 8, 6:55 PM ET Add Local - KPRC Click2Houston.com to My Yahoo!
A teenager was disciplined for sharing medication used to treat asthma, but he said it saved his girlfriend's life, News2Houston reported Wednesday.
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Andra Ferguson and her boyfriend, Brandon Kivi, both 15, use the same type of asthma medicine, Albuterol Inhalation Aerosol.
Ferguson said she forgot to bring her medication to their school, Caney Creek High School, on Sept. 24. When she had trouble breathing, she went to the nurse's office.
Out of concern, Kivi let her use his inhaler.
"I was trying to save her life. I didn't want her to die on me right there because the nurse's office (doesn't) have breathing machines," Kivi said.
"It made a big difference. It did save my life. It was a Good Samaritan act," Ferguson said.
But the school nurse said it was a violation of the district's no-tolerance drug policy, and reported Kivi to the campus police.
The next day, he was arrested and accused of delivering a dangerous drug. Kivi was also suspended from school for three days. He could face expulsion and sent to juvenile detention on juvenile drug charges.
The mothers of both teenagers are angry.
"My son will not go to jail. This is ridiculous," said Theresa Hock, Kivi's mother. "I believe he shouldn't be punished at all because he was helping her. She was in distress."
"If he hadn't helped her, she would have passed out or died or something because her asthma's been really bad this year," said Sandra Ferguson, Andra's mother.
The school principal said he couldn't do anything about it since Kivi not only broke school rules, but also allegedly violated state law.
"It's simply a matter that it's classified as a dangerous drug. It's an inhaler form, but yet, if it had been in pill form or any other, it's still classified as a dangerous drug," said Greg Poole, the Caney Creek principal.
"Would Caney Creek had want Andra to have died rather than my son to help her?" Hock said.
Poole said the nurse never considered Andra to be in a life-threatening situation.
The school district will hold a hearing on the matter Friday.
The principal is
Gregory Poole
936-231-2400
gpoole@conroe.isd.tenet.edu
The school nurse is
Kathy Ogden
936-231-3330
keogden@conroe.isd.tenet.edu
Dr. Don Stockton Superintendent
dostockton@conroe.isd.tenet.edu
The Conroe Independent Schools Board of Trustees
http://www.conroe.isd.tenet.edu/about/board/board.asp
I used to have asthma. Took an advil, not knowing I was allergic and within a half hour my breathing was mildly labored. Took my medicine, nothing to worry about. Five minutes later I was in the middle of the worst attack I've ever had. My sister said I turned blue. Thank God she was too terrified to drive me to the emergency herself and called an ambulance instead. Even the ambulance guys were scared.
At the very least, these parents should call for that nurse to be replaced with someone more competent. What parent is going to want a school nurse who is willing to let their child suffer, rather than break a rule?
If I was the president or governor, I'd issue a pardon.
Luckily, no jackass reported me to the cops.
From your mouth to God's ear. Too bad a civil suit couldn't be brought against her. I wonder if there are any Freepers living near there who can get her name for this thread?
http://www.click2houston.com/news/2547143/detail.html
On Friday, school officials decided to expel Kivi but not press criminal charges. They said it was an amicable agreement.
"I'm happy. Everything's final," Kivi said. "I'm expelled 'til after Christmas and I can come back after Christmas, but I won't."
...
Both Kivi and Ferguson decided to withdraw from Caney Creek High School to be home-schooled.
The girl had trouble breathing. Inhalers are used *to avoid* a life-threatening situation, which in severe attacks can be less than thirty minutes. By the time an asthmatic is in a life-threatening situation, an inhaler would not be effective because the bronchospasm is too severe to allow inhalation of the medication.
Fire the nurse and hire the kids. Jeez...
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