Bus driver, student honored for thwarting allergy attack

AGAWAM, Mass. — An Agawam High School bus driver and student have been recognized for helping a student who was suffering from an allergy attack, MassLive reports.

Bus driver Susan Patricia Lecrenski was driving her route last fall when she heard a student coughing and choking as the result of an allergic reaction due to an airborne allergen, according to the American Red Cross' website. Lucrenski immediately pulled over to help the student, who had forgotten her EpiPen.

Meanwhile, high school senior Whitney Shortt, who was sitting nearby, pulled out her own EpiPen and gave it to Lecrenski, who injected the student. Before Lecrenski resumed driving, she notified school administration that an ambulance had been called and would be waiting at the school.

Lecrenski and Shortt were named “Hometown Heroes” by the Western Massachusetts Red Cross for their actions. They were honored at a breakfast and ceremony on Thursday. The event was started as a way to honor 9/11 heroes, and has since grown to be the organization's largest annual fundraiser with more than 500 people usually attending, according to MassLive.

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