Teacher Spots Boy Alone On The Road, Then She Realizes He's In Desperate Need Of Help

Elementary school teacher Keller Selflin hated letting her students down. [music] Whenever a lesson plan didn't connect with students, she drove around in a silent frustration, wondering if she could have better explained multiplication tables or an art project. She cared about her kids. And that's why she immediately stopped when she saw one of her students wandering alone on the street and listened while he explained his dire situation. "When I see myself as a teacher," Miss Sutherland below said, [music] "It just goes so far beyond the classroom. Teaching boiled over into her personal life. [music] It was a job that required more than 40 hours of attention every week. She did anything for her kids." which was why one day in February 2019, Miss Sutherland couldn't wait to be home and rest. Exhausted from a tough day, she was elated when a school faculty meeting was cancelled. She headed home to her husband a little early, and that's when she spotted the concerning site. While driving home, Miss Southerntherland was talking over the phone with her husband. Left. There's a small child on his bicycle riding down the road, she told him. There was a ton of traffic at the time, but no one was concerned about the kid except Miss Southerntherland. Feeling she needed to help this boy because being a teacher didn't stop outside her classroom at the end of the school day, she approached the little biker. [music] That's when she realized she knew this kid. The 7-year-old's name was Cameron Simmonsick, and he was one of her students. He was frazzled and out [music] of breath, and he immediately tried explaining himself. The story just poured out of him. For Cameron, it was an ordinary day in Greenville County, South Carolina. He went to school and was taught by his first grade teacher, Miss Southerntherland. Then he headed home on his own. Cameron was very independent for his age. His parents believed he could make it to school and back home on his own. All he needed was his trusty bike, [music] and they were right. After school that day, he did make it home. However, when he returned home that day, something was very different. [music] It was rather quiet in the house. He walked through his home to see if anyone else was there, but he came across a terrifying sight. In the kitchen, he screamed at the sight of his father passed out on the ground. Smart kid that he was, Cameron knew all about his father's medical condition and its consequences. Even at his young age, Cameron understood that his father was diabetic and suffered from episodes that left him incapacitated. He couldn't treat his father, so he tried [music] calling for help. but he ran into an issue. The clock was ticking for Cameron's father, who was suffering from a diabetic episode of low insulin levels, which can be fatal. Cameron immediately rushed to call 911 on his dad's cell phone, but there was a problem. When Cameron grabbed his father's phone, he found it was locked. He tried to get the password a few times, but he had no luck. The boy couldn't call for help, not over the phone, so he darted out the front door. Cameron ran to his neighbors, but no one was home to help. Without many other options, he grabbed his bike and pedled as fast as he could to reach someone else who could help, his grandma. Unfortunately, the emergency trip to grandma's was going to be a 5mile trek that involved crossing a bustling highway. Still, Cameron had to save his dad. As scared as [music] he was, he pushed forward. That's when Miss Southerntherland saw him pedaling frantically down the busy road. After listening to his story, she helped him calm down, dialing 911 on her own phone, she assured Cameron everything would be all right, but she couldn't know for sure. Over Miss Sutherland's phone, Cameron explained the situation perfectly for emergency workers. He told them his home address and about his father's diabetes. From there, EMTs rushed to save his father's life. When EMTs arrived, Cameron's dad was given the insulin he needed. He increased his sugar levels by eating crackers that Miss Sutherland happened to have on her. Slowly, he regained his strength. Word of the heroism made it back to Ellen [music] Woodside Elementary. There, administrators implemented lessons for their students on how to handle emergencies, telling students to know their addresses, important phone numbers, and the medical history of their family members. Miss Southerntherland also took [music] the time to honor Cameron's bravery. I am still overwhelmed by the amazing strength and determination this child had to do what he was attempting to do. Miss Sutherland later explained, "Even though he didn't make it to grandma's, I am incredibly grateful to have passed by him when I did." The ordeal gave Miss Sutherland a great deal of confidence. Saving a life was all in a day's work. Cameron not only had his dad safe and healthy, but he also had the wonderful teacher who was there for him that day. Across the country in Arizona, Elizabeth Militch most certainly would have done the same.