WAVE 3 News - Louisville, KentuckyThree PRP teachers honored for saving boy's life

Three PRP teachers honored for saving boy's life

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Three teachers at Pleasure Ridge Park High School are being hailed heroes after saving the life of a student. The first day of school turned into a nightmare for 16-year-old Cody Aikins after he collapsed and stopped breathing. Cody is now improving every day and his family and city leaders can't say enough about the heroic effort to keep him alive.

"It was the scariest day of my life," said Steve Aikins, Cody's dad, as he talked Wednesday August 17. "I ran off the job and just left everything."

Cody, who has a heart condition, was being rushed to Kosair Children's Hospital with a police escort.

Megan Miller, a PRP physical education teacher and the school's softball coach, recalled the moment a student grabbed her.

"She ran up and said, ‘Coach Miller you need to go out to the courtyard. There's a kid that's collapsed in the courtyard,'" said Miller.

Miller, along with Rich Hawks, the school's health department chair, ran to Cody. When they arrived, Hawks said Cody was lying on the ground and moving. But moments later, Cody stopped breathing and started turning blue. For these teachers, their CPR training would be tested on one of their kids.

"We didn't have a choice and we just thought OK, it's time because we can't wait for somebody else to do it for us," Hawks said.

The teachers kept CPR going for 10 to 15 minutes. Assistant baseball coach Derek Mattingly jumped in to sub when his colleagues got fatigued.

"I was nervous afterwards and I think the adrenaline of it took over right when I first came out," Mattingly said. 

"I can't imagine how scary it would be," said Steve Aikins of the teachers' effort.

Once Cody was at the hospital, an EMT came back to the school to talk with David Johnson, the PRP principal.

"He said I just want to let you know that you should commend those teachers and he said it took us 10 to 15 minutes to get here and what they did saved that young man's life," said Johnson.

A week later, his father said Cody is doing great, sitting up texting and communicating with friends on facebook.

"Miracle would be the word," Aikins said, "I guess and I know everybody uses that, but it kind of makes sense."

The heroic effort of the three teachers deserves a standing ovation. That's exactly what came at Thursday night's meeting of the Louisville Metro Council where the teachers were honored. Cody's grandparents, Marleen and Jim Pipes, were there to see it.

"They say it's their job and it is to them, but it's the world to us," said Mrs. Pipes of the teachers' efforts.

Cody's dad said a thank you will never be enough.

"To know that people are out there that would do that for you is just a great feeling," Aikins said.

The teachers say while it was scary, they are not heroes. The three said it was a group effort by everyone who was involved - from the student who saw Cody collapse to the staffers who called 9-1-1 to police, firefighters and EMT's.

The Aikins family is thankful Cody will be released from the hospital sometime next week.

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