Written by Gianna Lara, Staff Writer
In late October, footage revealed the negligence of school staff at Velma Penny Elementary School in Texas, who failed to prevent an eight-year-old student from choking to death.
One of a parent’s greatest fears is the doleful situation of sending their child to school, a supposed safe haven, only for it to be the last time seeing their child alive. This became a reality for Anna Thompson and Greg Sher, as their daughter passed of asphyxiation at school with seemingly little help from the people in charge of protecting her.
The human throat holds a passageway at the back of the mouth that branches out into two pathways one being the trachea, also known as the windpipe, and the esophagus, which eventually leads to the stomach. Complications may occur when the process of swallowing is carried out, as the epiglottis may not effectively block unwanted objects from entering the trachea. In situations of distraction, it becomes much easier for foreign objects to get lodged into the wind pipe and in turn, block the necessary flow of oxygen into the lungs.
On April 15, 2026, an eight-year-old Adrian Thompson began another day at her elementary school situated in the community of Lindale, Texas. A day like any other until lunch time arrived. The chaotic atmosphere in the lunch room was interrupted when, while eating, Adrian began coughing uncontrollably. It was later discovered that something was caught in her airways, hindering her ability to breathe.
Reports detailing the specifics regarding the situation state that the girl had been choking on her food during lunch time. She ran to get help, but when she couldn’t find the assistance she needed, she sprinted to the nurses office where the Heimlich Maneuver was performed on her by the nurse. Ultimately any other efforts made by the school were in vain, as Adrian would eventually pass away a day later after being taken to the hospital by EMTs. Medical Examiners later confirmed that Adrian’s passing was ruled an accidental death by choking.
This brought immense sadness upon the family who reported feeling deceived in entrusting the school staff and district to care for their child. Bringing to question the responsibility of the school district’s workers, and the quality of medical related training given to teachers and other members of staff working under the elementary school. Although Adrian’s parents have not officially stated a desire to pursue legal action, they do encourage reforms throughout the school district to prevent another tragedy such as this one from occurring.
In the month of October, footage of the scene was released to the public, where Adrian was found frantically running around the school’s cafeteria trying to get help. The video depicts a staff member directing the girl towards a trash can assuming she needed to throw up. The obliviousness of the situation portrayed through the supervisor has caused an uproar on social media as well as in the Lindale community. Adrian was in a state of vulnerability, desperately trying to save her own life by finding others to help her, only to be let down by the uncertainty of the supervisors at the scene. A ceremony was held to honor Adrian’s life and to bring attention to her circumstances.
The incident has obligated the school district to implement new training methods that teach staff the correct ways to attend students who may be experiencing similar medical emergencies, such as the unfortunate accident that happened to Adrian.
Signs of a person choking may include the following: silent coughing or gagging, cyanosis which is the skin turning into a tint of blue or purple, wheezing, and inability to speak. Once seeing an individual exhibiting these signs, the best course of action is to strike the individual’s back five times, between the shoulder blades with the palm of the hand. In an ideal situation having certified first aid training would be the best way to adequately assess an incident such as this one to then prepare to provide help to others.
Nationwide, this serves as a reminder to individuals of the importance of knowing essential steps to help save the lives of others when they are stuck in dangerous situations such as choking on food. Knowing CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver can be crucial when preventing other individuals from meeting a similar fate.