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Blanton nurse always prepared

What makes a hero? Is it courage, kindness or the ability to act confidently in a crisis? ��

For Blanton Elementary’s family engagement liaison Candice Rocha, it’s someone who knows how to save a life – specifically from cheesy enchiladas.��

In May, what started as a casual lunch in the break room with Blanton nurse Stephanie Collett quickly turned into a life-threatening situation.��

“I was eating lunch with her [Collett] while eating my cheesy enchiladas when all of a sudden, I began to choke,” Rocha said.��

Collett immediately noticed that something was wrong.��

“Candice all of a sudden looked different,” Collett said. “She just had this blank stare. Then she grabbed her neck, and I asked her if she was choking, and she nodded yes.”����

That’s when Collett’s nursing instincts quickly kicked in.��

“She jumped out of her seat and right into action performing the on me,” Rocha said.�� ��

With seven years of experience as an emergency room trauma nurse and two years as Blanton’s school nurse, Collett is always prepared for the unexpected.����

“In that moment I knew I was going to do the Heimlich,” she said. “But my nurse brain always assumes the worst. I was still preparing to call 911 or perform CPR if she went unconscious.”��

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.����

“After pulling stringy cheese out of my mouth I was finally able to breathe, and I was no longer choking or gagging,” Rocha said. “If she [Collett] was not there, I do not know how that situation would have ended.”��

But for Collett, it wasn’t about being heroic, it was about being there for a friend.����

“I was so thankful that she was okay,” she said. “She was tearful and she was scared, but she just hugged me and thanked me for saving her life.”��

Collett is one of four ����Ӱҵ ISD employees who stepped in during a time of crisis in the 2023-24 school year. Lamar High School athletic trainer Bryant Grice helped save the life of a student-athlete before a basketball game. The same goes for Seguin High School golf coach Ruston Laurence and Lamar golf coach Gary Webb, who administered lifesaving help on the golf course to a student-athlete. And Beckham Elementary nurse Brittany Isbell performed CPR on a co-worker in need.��

Collett’s quick thinking came as no surprise to others at Blanton who work with her.����

“When we have emergencies, she jumps in and takes action,” said Blanton principal Migdalia Castillo. “She’s always making sure that all our kids and everybody is safe. It’s amazing to have such an extraordinary human being.”����

Rocha couldn’t agree more.����

“I am forever grateful for her,” she said. “God puts the right people at the right time for a reason. She really is my hero.”��