Unis Middle School teachers Brian Courtright (left) and Emily Bartley (right) were recognized Dec. 9 for their efforts to save student Mohammad Hannawi. On Oct. 2, the eighth-grader had a medical emergency while swimming after school. Bartley pulled Hannawi from the water and performed CPR, and Courtright retrieved the school’s AED and assisted until paramedics arrived.
DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education Dec. 9 night honored two McCollough/Unis teachers credited with saving a student’s life during a medical emergency in October.
“This is really a story of heroes in our community,” Supt. Glenn Maleyko said. “I’m very proud of everyone, of our entire community, first responders, family, and obviously our wonderful teachers and social workers.”
On Oct. 2, Unis Middle School football practice was cancelled due to the weather. Student Mohammad Hannawi and other swim team members used the break to get in an off-season practice in the pool. While swimming, Hannawi had a medical emergency due to an undiagnosed cardiac condition.
When teacher Emily Bartley saw that Hannawi was not surfacing from the water, she jumped in the pool, pulled him to the pool deck, and began CPR. The other students, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, ran to get additional assistance.
Bartley was joined by fellow teacher Brian Courtright who assisted in providing first aid, including setting up the school’s automatic external defibrillator. Within minutes Fire Department paramedics arrived, continued CPR and activated the AED before transporting Hannawi to Children’s Hospital.
The first responders involved also were thanked and recognized during the meeting.
In the days and weeks that followed the incident, the outlook for the middle-schooler was not good. A highly qualified team of social workers, led by Rola Bazzi-Gates, provided support to the staff and students at the school during this time. Principal Chadi Farhat, teachers at the school, and DPS administrators continued to visit Hannawi and his family at the hospital to provide support.
The eighth-grader recovered, was able to go home, and returned to school. When Hannawi was released from the hospital, doctors met with his parents and school administrators. The doctors credited the quick actions of Bartley and Courtright for saving the boy’s life.
“I would like to thank and recognize the efforts of all the individuals who saved Mohammad’s life and supported the McCollough/Unis community during this emotional time,” Farhat said. “Without their efforts, the outcome could have been tragic, and the McCollough/Unis community could not have been able to successfully navigate through all of this.”
In addition to recognizing the teachers, the school board declared Oct. 2 AED Day in DPS. Every year on that day, school staff will be required to check that any AEDs and other first aid equipment are in working order.