Juanita High School (JHS) senior Saivion Bell recently received the recognition he deserves. He was recognized in March by the City of Kirkland after helping a stranger who was having a medical emergency on the sidewalk. Bell was given a certificate during a recognition event and was thanked by the Kirkland mayor’s office and the fire and police departments.

Bell participates in the WANIC Skill Center program as a nursing student. He is also active in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program there. It is with WANIC where he has learned vital life saving strategies.

Despite this remarkable act of courage, Bell did not ask for recognition or even tell anyone that it happened. Rather, a teacher from Redmond High School (RHS) emailed the JHS wrestling coach saying that one of their wrestlers committed this act of selflessness. It was only after the coach asked if it was any of the wrestlers did Bell shyly raise his hand. 

Here is what the RHS teacher sent to the JHS wrestling coach about the incident:

"Yesterday (the day before Thanksgiving), I was heading out to run along 132nd Street. And I could see your wrestler running as fast as he could, coming toward me from the other end of the block. By the time I got to him, he was kneeling by the edge of the sidewalk, trying to help a person who was having some kind of medical emergency. As he was calling 911, another JHS student pulled over. I don't know anything else about her, other than that they knew each other. This young lady was also remarkable, and kept the person calm once they had come out of their convulsions. They stayed until the EMTs arrived.

In the time between first getting to the person and when the EMTs got there, only a couple of other cars stopped to see if help was needed. But the two students form JHS not only stopped, but got out and got involved."