BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. — Months after a Bullitt County middle schooler nearly died on a school bus, all district bus drivers are going through CPR training.
Eastside Middle School student Zoe Thomas suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm moments after getting on her bus in February. Noticing that something was wrong in her rear-view mirror, bus driver Michelle Crenshaw jumped into action.
With the help of Assistant Principal Kyle Buege, Crenshaw performed CPR on Thomas until an ambulance arrived.
"Thank goodness we were able to revive her with CPR and she's alive and very well today because of that," Crenshaw said.
Since that life-changing moment, Crenshaw and Thomas have pushed for getting all bus drivers CPR certified, which is not currently mandated in Kentucky.
Bullitt County Public Schools, however, decided to make the certification a requirement before the start of the new school year, seeing firsthand how important CPR is.
"The potential for an event is there," Tony Roth, BCPS transportation director, said. "We found that out last spring."
The certification is good for two years and goes beyond the 120 bus drivers and monitors in Bullitt County — mechanics and office staff were also trained.
"I've had a lot of bus drivers say thank goodness it wasn't their bus it happened on," Crenshaw said. "That's just such a blessing to know they won't feel the same way this moment forward."
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