First grade students at Cedar Hill Elementary thought their teacher, Tracy Hodges, was playing a joke on them at first.
They became worried, though, after she was unresponsive for a few moments during their music class, and they ran to get help.
First responders called to the scene realized Hodges was having a seizure and offered medical attention, a representative said. Hodges later realized that she had had COVID-19 — she was asymptomatic — and that the seizure was a complication of the virus.
“There were many heroes that day,” said Cedar Hill Elementary School Principal Glen Garner, according to a post from the Limestone County school district. “Everyone stepped up that day because that’s what heroes do, but none so more than you. Hodges’ Heroes, that’s the class I know.”
The students are now being recognized for their quick work on Jan. 20, 2022.
“God put me in their little hands that day and they took action to help me,” Hodges said, according to a Facebook post from Limestone County Schools. “It’s only fitting they’re being recognized.”
Dole Food Company has named Hodges’ class “Healthy Everyday Heroes” and is offering superhero costumes and certificates to students, plus events Wednesday, April 20. The school district also recognized students with superintendents’ commendation certificates in February.
Hodges began working for the elementary school in Limestone County in 2004, according to the district’s website.