Meaux, La. - They are calling it a holiday miracle after a Meaux Elementary School bus driver saved Zeke LeJeune, an eight-year-old student’s life.
“The kids are hungry, they might have eaten at 10:30 or 11 am, so I allowed him (to eat it),” Vermilion Parish Bus Driver Renella Hargrave said.
For school bus driver Renella, Friday, December 1st was supposed to be an ordinary school day.
“I drove up to school, we loaded up and we headed out for the route. This little guy came and asked if he could eat a snack. He sat behind us and the other children were put on guard to watch him. Riley Duartez say’s, Mrs.Renella Zeke’s choking. I said, you’re kidding me, right? And she said, no ma'am, he’s choking,” she said.
This is the moment things took a turn.
“That was probably the scariest 12 minutes of my life,” said Zeke’s mother, Cristian LeJeune.
“He was eating a slim jim with plastic and I guess he thought maybe the plastic wouldn’t come off and he just took a big bite and I guess it went down the wrong way,” Renella said.
In the midst of the chaos, Mrs. Renella’s quick reaction prevented a catastrophe. “I put the bus in park, pressed my brakes, he was coming towards me but he really wasn’t wanting to come. So he came, I got out the seat hit him on the back a few times but nothing happened. He was still not breathing. So I said, Zeke you have to come towards me and I hit him in the chest area and it came out,” she said.
A story that tugs on your heart strings, a school bus driver saving the life of one of her students.
“He said, thank you Mrs. Renella. I mean we talk about it but no one ever expects that to happen,” she said.
Zeke’ parents say they are extremely thankful they get to hug their son once again. “We are forever grateful for her and that she’s always going to hold a place in our heart,” Cristian said.
One thing’s for certain, there are no more beef jerky sticks in the LeJeune household. “There are no longer beef jerky sticks allowed in my house, not for a little while anyways,” Cristian said.
Mrs. Renella said she’s learned from this experience and is hoping she doesn’t relive this terrifying incident. Community members are calling her a hometown hero but Mrs. Renella says she was just doing her job.
“I was supposed to retire in October and I just hung around. If I wouldn’t have been here, he might not be here either. It just so happened, I saved his life, you, know? I was meant to be there.”
