By C.J. Vetter
BUDA – It’s not every day a fourth grade students gets a medal from the Red Cross.
Silas Timmer, a fourth grader at Buda Elementary School, was presented with a certificate and medal for Extraordinary Personal Action at a ceremony held at Pfluger Elementary School on Wednesday, May 18.
In January, Silas noticed that one of his friends couldn’t breathe during recess and began to perform the Heimlich to help him. When asked how Silas knew how to perform the maneuver, Silas explained that he learned it from watching YouTube videos.
“When we learned about Silas saving a boy’s life, we were speechless, you know,” said Silas’ mother, Angela Timmer. “We went wow, Silas is an amazing young boy, full of surprises. This made us so proud.”
At the ceremony, Silas was presented the award by Red Cross Central and South Texas Chief Executive Officer Marty McKellips. Also in attendance were Pfluger Elementary Principal Elizabeth Lara and vice-principal Michael Snead, and Silas’ class, teacher, and parents.
The certificate issued by the Red Cross is one of many that are given across the nation. What is notable about the award and recognition of the Extraordinary Personal Action certificate is that it is given to those individuals and teams not trained by the Red Cross, and the history of the award stretches back to 1911.
“It actually began with giving awards to railroad people who worked and performed first aid on each other, and then it began expanding it to other people who do heroic acts like this one,” McKellips said.
For further information or to nominate some you know in the community, you can visit www.redcross.org/take-a-class/lifesaving.
