A Boston mother slammed her son's school for calling her to pick him up when he was having a stroke instead of dialing 911
Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
- A Boston mother says her son's school failed to immediately call 911 when her son was having a stroke.
- Alishia Hicks told local news that the school called her first to pick her son up.
- Hicks said they finally called first responders after more than 30 minutes, per CBS News.
A Boston mother said her son's high school called her instead of immediately contacting 911 when he had a stroke, according to multiple reports.
D'Andre Hicks, a 17-year-old student at Henderson Inclusion School, had a stroke in class earlier this month, Boston 25 News reported. According to the report, his mother, Alishia, who was ill, said the nurse called and asked her to pick him up because she did not think he was suffering from a stroke.
"Your professional eye may not see the stroke," Hicks, whose family has a history of strokes, told the outlet. "It's not visible, but if he's telling you he is weak on his left side, please, at this point, I'm pleading with all intensity that I could muster up with no voice. Please get my son to the hospital, please."
CBS News reported that she pressed the school to call 911 because she wouldn't get there quick enough due to being in a wheelchair. According to the report, she claimed it took over a half-hour before the school finally made the call.
D'Andre was transported to a local hospital and received medical treatment. Hicks told Boston 25 News that while in the hospital, her son said: "I can't believe they didn't believe me."
According to CBS News, Boston School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius apologized to Hicks for what happened. Additionally, the district responded to the incident and released a statement emphasizing that their concern is "first with the health and well-being of this student," the outlet reported.
"We are glad to hear he is recovering well," the statement continued, per the outlet. " This serious incident is being reviewed by appropriate BPS staff, and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific matter."