A Choking Elida Student Was Airlifted to Dayton Children’s After St. Marys Senior Alaina Ruvoldt Gave Her the Heimlich at a Football Game

The Friday night crowd at Elida’s football game, held in Ohio on October 23, was settling back in after halftime when a St. Marys student walking back from the concession stand noticed a girl in trouble nearby. The girl was an Elida student, and she was choking. St. Marys senior Alaina Ruvoldt, who trained in a medical prep program, stepped in with the Heimlich maneuver, and The Daily Standard reported that the girl was later airlifted to Dayton Children’s Hospital and is doing well.

Halftime at the St. Marys and Elida Football Game

The St. Marys and Elida high school teams met in Elida on Friday, October 23. Shortly after halftime, Ruvoldt was making her way from the concession stand back to her seat, according to the Mercer County Outlook, when she saw a young Elida girl choking. The girl could not clear her airway on her own and had briefly stopped breathing.

Ruvoldt, a senior at St. Marys Memorial High School, had the training to act. She gave the girl the Heimlich as she had been trained to, and the training “just kicked right in,” she told WLIO. The Daily Standard reported that she performed the maneuver two or three times before medics arrived and took over.

After the medics took over, Ruvoldt returned to her seat, according to The Daily Standard.

What Happened to the Elida Student Afterward

None of the news reports name the Elida student. What The Daily Standard does say is that she was airlifted to Dayton Children’s Hospital for care. Ruvoldt told The Daily Standard that the girl is “OK.”

The girl’s father later got in touch with the St. Marys school to thank Ruvoldt, according to the same report. For a teenager who had done what a class had taught her, the message confirmed that a girl she did not know was recovering.

The Community Hero Award From the St. Marys Fire Department

The City of St. Marys honored Ruvoldt with its Community Hero Award. WLIO reported that the mayor, the fire chief and police officials presented it. The St. Marys Fire Department and the city jointly gave the award, and Ruvoldt said it was only the second time it had been handed out.

Fire Chief Doug Ayers of the St. Marys Fire Department told WLIO that having citizens like Ruvoldt is “fantastic.” Ruvoldt said she was “so grateful” for the recognition, according to The Daily Standard.

St. Marys Memorial High School shared its own tribute in a news release, crediting her “quick thinking, courage and willingness to act in a critical moment.” The school added that “one person’s knowledge and willingness to step forward can make an extraordinary difference,” and told her the school was proud of not only what she did that evening but also “the outstanding student and person” she is.

Her instructor in the Tri Star Career Compact’s med prep program, Annette Albers, who has taught there for nine years, called the rescue “awesome” and said training matters when a real emergency arrives. Ruvoldt, the daughter of Aaron and Becky Ruvoldt, credited the program for helping her “not be scared” because she knew she was trained. She has been accepted to the University of Findlay and plans to study sonography.

The recognition fits a pattern that runs through the story. Ruvoldt was not a bystander who happened to be standing closest. She is a student in a career-training program built around medical skills, and the rescue was the moment those lessons were meant for. Albers’ point that training matters in real emergencies is borne out by what happened at the game: someone nearby knew what to do, and acted.

How to Recognize Choking and What the Medical Guidance Says

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org says a child may be choking and need help right away if the child cannot breathe, is gasping or wheezing, cannot talk, cry or make noise, turns a bluish color, grabs at the throat or waves the arms in panic, or becomes limp or unconscious. It also notes that a child who is simply coughing often settles within about 15 minutes, and that adults should watch closely and be ready to act if symptoms worsen.

The Mayo Clinic lists similar signs, including hands clutched to the throat, a look of panic, shock or confusion, an inability to talk, strained or noisy breathing, and blue or gray skin, lips or nails. For a person who cannot talk, cry or laugh forcefully, the Mayo Clinic says to give five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of the hand, followed by five abdominal thrusts, and to alternate between the two until the blockage is dislodged.

For abdominal thrusts, the Mayo Clinic describes standing behind the person, making a fist just above the navel, grasping it with the other hand and pressing inward and upward. For a child, it advises “gentle yet firm pressure to avoid damaging the internal organs.” If someone else is nearby, one person should call 911 while the other gives first aid, and if the person becomes unconscious, the Mayo Clinic says to lower them to the floor and begin CPR.

The Mayo Clinic adds a caution that applies to anyone tempted to reach into a choking person’s mouth: it says to sweep the mouth for the object only if it can be seen. It also says that a lone rescuer should give back blows and abdominal thrusts first, while a person choking with no one nearby can call 911 and press their own fist upward against the stomach while bending over a hard surface.

HealthyChildren.org recommends taking a certified course in basic first aid and CPR, since reading steps is no substitute for practicing them. It also advises cutting food for young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch, supervising mealtimes and having children sit down to eat.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Northern-Virginia-Photographer – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons