Clarion County Commissioner Wayne Brosius was on hand at the Feb. 16 Clarion-Limestone School Board meeting to issue county proclamations of appreciation to two life-saving employees.
Rachel McConnell, a Clarion-Limestone School District central office employee, was working in the office next to where Celia was eating.
McConnell became alarmed when she heard someone wheezing for air and coughing. McConnell stepped out of her office to find Celia choking.
McConnell acted quickly and was able to perform the Heimlich maneuver to help Celia dislodge the food that was stuck in her throat.
Also according to information provided by the district, on Jan. 7, 2022, Brenda Selker, a Clarion-Limestone School District classroom aide and bus monitor, was on an afternoon elementary bus run and while conversing with students near the front of the bus, her attention was drawn toward the rear of the bus where it was evident a child was choking.
The Clarion County Board of Commissioners at its Jan. 25 meeting issued the proclamations of appreciation honoring the two women.
In honoring McConnell and Selker the proclamations from commissioners Brosius, Ted Tharan, and Ed Heasley note McConnell and Selker demonstrated “bravery and heroism” when they took action in a life-threatening situation.
The commissioners said the actions by both women set examples for their colleagues and all residents of Clarion County.
The Heimlich maneuver, now known as abdominal thrusts, is a first-aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions (or choking) by foreign objects.
American doctor Henry Heimlich is often credited for its discovery.
Performing abdominal thrusts involves a rescuer standing behind a patient and using their hands to exert pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm.
This compresses the lungs and exerts pressure on any object lodged in the trachea, hopefully expelling it.