Mother says her juvenile son reportedly suffered a stroke while in his classroom. But, she claims the high school student didn’t receive the medical assistance he needed because the school officials and the school nurse called her to pick the boy from school, instead of calling 911. The woman repeatedly asked them to dial 911 because she was home alone sick and wheelchair-bound. “Your professional eye may not see the stroke. It’s not visible but if he’s telling you he is weak on his left side, please, at this point I’m pleading with all intensity that I could muster up with no voice. Please get my son to the hospital, please.” the unfortunate mother reportedly told the school nurse.
The mother from Massachusetts, Alishia Hicks, told CBS Local that the school officials called for her to come pick up her 17-year-old son, D’Andre Hicks. The woman repeatedly asked them to dial 911 because she was home alone sick, and wheelchair-bound.
The mother is demanding answers from the Henderson Inclusion Upper School and the school district. Alishia is asking why the school nurse did not recognize the signs of his health failing when the boy complained about feeling tired and his side felt numb.
According to 25 News, the high school student told the school nurse that he felt weak, shaky and numb. The school nurse called his mom instead of calling 911, even after the symptoms were suggesting the student was having a stroke, the mother said.
During an interview with 25 News, Alishia Hicks reportedly said: “Listen there’s a small vessel problem on my mother’s side of the family that causes a stroke easily if there’s any blockage in it is so important to get him to the hospital right away because he could die.
Your professional eye may not see the stroke. It’s not visible but if he’s telling you he is weak on his left side, please, at this point I’m pleading with all intensity that I could muster up with no voice. Please get my son to the hospital, please.”
The mother also said that they went back and forth for 45 minutes with no 911 call, instead, a call to the Department of Children and Families. After the Department of Children and Families call, the nurse reportedly called 911. At the hospital, doctors were able to stop the stroke with medication. The young boy spent two days in the hospital. Now, he’s back home now but hasn’t been back to school since.
The mother also says that the school officials should have called 911 first, noting her proximity to the school and inability to move fast because she is confined to a wheelchair.
The mother reportedly told the nurse: “He’s going to die if he’s stroking, they’re taking too long to dial 911.”
Per reports, the nurse reportedly told the mother, “Well, my professional, my medical evaluation, it doesn’t look like he needs an ambulance, somebody should come pick him up.”
When the high school student arrived at the hospital, he was reportedly diagnosed as having an acute ischemic stroke. The doctors stopped the stroke using medication.
The mother also told 25 News that she had three strokes in her life. She further explained her family has a history of strokes.
The 17-year-old student reportedly told 25 News: “They start arguing with her on that while I’m out here stroking on the bed right now trying to stay up. I was afraid that if I fell asleep or something like that I was going to go into a coma or probably for the worst.”
According to CBS Local, School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius personally reached out to the mother and apologized. She also told the mother that the school district is looking further into the incident.
BPS released the following statement: “Our concern is first with the health and well-being of this student. We are glad to hear he is recovering well. This serious incident is being reviewed by appropriate BPS staff and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific matter.”
The mother told 25 News that she is wondering whether race was a factor in the nurses not believing them about her son having a stroke. Now she wants to see both nurses reprimanded and retrained. No word on if the family will be filing a civil rights lawsuit.