THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702150235
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 57 lines
Trumillia Britt heard money jokes all day Friday:
``Hey, can I get change for a dollar?''
``Do you have any change?''
``I swallowed a 50-cent piece. Can you help me get a dollar?''
Her colleagues at James Monroe Elementary were trying to make light of an incident that wasn't so funny the day before.
During class on Thursday, 7-year-old Kashay McCleese turned to Britt, choking, and gasped, ``Mrs. Britt, I swallowed a quarter.''
Britt, a 30-year-teaching veteran, quickly turned her about to do a makeshift Heimlich maneuver. After a pound on the chest, out popped a quarter. Then a dime. And a nickel.
``I thought I was a magician,'' Britt said Friday. ``She told me a quarter and I got 40 cents.''
Britt, Kashay and James Monroe staff were glad they could laugh Friday. They weren't laughing Thursday.
Said Kashay: ``I was scared.''
Around 12:30 Thursday afternoon, Britt's first-grade class had settled around the reading teacher when Kashay reached into her pocket and pulled out the change.
``I just started licking the money,'' Kashay said. ``Then it went down my throat.''
Kashay couldn't breathe. She covered her mouth and walked toward Britt.
``I thought she had to regurgitate, so I walked her to the bathroom area,'' Britt said. ``She looked as if she weren't going to make it, so I brought the trash can to her, but it wouldn't come out. I kept telling her, `It's OK. You can let it out. It's OK.' ''
Then Kashay managed the bit about the quarter.
``I almost panicked,'' Britt said. ``But then I told myself, `You have to help this child.' I didn't think I could do it, but I hit her on the chest and heard the pop. Then another pop and pop.''
Meanwhile, the other kids in the class became silent as they watched their classmate choke. Until the fall of money.
``When I saw the money come out,'' said 7-year-old Ethlyn Holmes, ``I said, `God bless you. She's still living.' ''
Kashay was sent to the clinic for a checkup, and Britt went into the bathroom and cried.
``It wasn't until 30 minutes later that I realized what could've happened,'' Britt said.
``The Lord worked through me to save her.''
She later used the experience to teach the class a lesson. Kashay remembered it well on Friday.
``I'm not putting anything in my mouth but food. And candy.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
MOTOYA NAKAMURA
The Virginian-Pilot
Trumillia Britt, at right, saved Kashay McCleese, center. At left is
her friend, Ethlyn Holmes.