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S. 543

STATUS INFORMATION

Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senator McLeod
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24465zw21.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 10, 2021
Adopted by the Senate on February 10, 2021

Summary: Coretta Keys school hero

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   2/10/2021  Senate  Introduced and adopted (Senate Journal-page 3)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/10/2021

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR CORETTA KEA, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER AT BOOKMAN ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND TO COMMEND HER HEROIC ACTIONS WHICH SAVED THE LIFE OF A STUDENT'S GRANDMOTHER.

Whereas, the South Carolina Senate is profoundly grateful for the outstanding work of Coretta Kea during the heroic performance of her duties as a social worker, which saved the life of a grandmother of a kindergarten student at Bookman Road Elementary School; and

Whereas, during this atypical time of remote/virtual learning across the State, the vital role of school learning support staff has become more essential than ever to ensure needs of students are met; and

Whereas, Ms. Kea received an email Tuesday, December 1, 2020, from a teacher and the attendance secretary regarding the absences of a student since the return from the Thanksgiving break; and

Whereas, she immediately responded that she would conduct a home visit to check on the status of the student and guardian. Before she departed from the school, she notified the front office staff that she planned to conduct a home visit; and

Whereas, when Ms. Kea arrived at the student's home, she noted two vehicles in the yard and rang the doorbell several times and then knocked on the door with her fists. The kindergarten student was able with some effort to open the door, and she seemed worried; and

Whereas, after ascertaining that the child did not realize she should have been in school, she learned that the child's grandmother was with her but that she was sick and unable to move; and

Whereas, wearing personal protective equipment, Ms. Kea asked the child to tell her family that she was entering the home. Calling out as she entered the home, Ms. Kea made her way upstairs where the student indicated the grandmother's room; and

Whereas, Ms. Kea found the grandmother lying incoherent on the floor. She quickly located one other family member, an eighth grader who was online logged into e-Learning and who communicated that the grandmother, a diabetic, had been released from the hospital the previous day and a month earlier had been in ICU for fifteen days as the result of a stroke; and

Whereas, after securing both children in another room, Ms. Kea called 911 and provided her limited information of the situation. She cleared a pathway through the house for the EMS workers before calling school authorities to describe the crisis situation; and

Whereas, upon swift arrival of EMS, she directed the paramedics to the grandmother and located the grandmother's identification and insurance card with the assistance of the older child; and

Whereas, Ms. Kea maintained composure for the sake of the two children as she watched EMS work to save the life of the grandmother who became oriented and was able to call Ms. Kea by name as a lady from the school. An EMS worker told the grandmother that Ms. Kea had helped to save her life as she had been only minutes away from being in a diabetic coma; and

Whereas, she assisted the older child to prepare food for the grandmother and to find clean clothes for the grandmother after her shower. She gave the older child instructions and her work cellular phone number to call for support. Before Ms. Kea left, she spoke on the phone with a relative who was enroute to the home; and

Whereas, Ms. Kea advised the grandmother to follow the physician's instructions regarding her medication and care and promised to return the next day, which she did; and

Whereas, due to her diligence in the performance of her role, along with her constant mobilization to ensure the welfare of her students and their families, Coretta Kea was in the right place at the right time to save a life. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor Coretta Kea, school social worker at Bookman Road Elementary School, and commend her heroic actions which saved the life of a student's grandmother.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Coretta Kea.

This web page was last updated on February 11, 2021 at 8:58 AM