Deer Valley Teacher Performs CPR at Back to School Night, Saves Student’s Life

Last Thursday, during back to school night, a Deer Valley teacher sprang into action saving the life of a student who passed out and was not breathing.

According to Ken Gardner, Deer Valley Principal, visual arts teacher Bill Leach provided CPR until the student was breathing and help could arrive.

Leach has been a teacher in the District for 26-years and is one of the original teachers at the school when it opened in 1996.

Leach explained that his classroom was right next to the incident and by chance happened to be in the hallway when the student started having a medical situation.

“I am in my class with parents sitting down when I notice I didn’t have the correct schedule, so I went next door to review a copy when I open the door and this young man is on the ground claiming chest pain and couldn’t breath,” explained Leach.

He says at that point another teacher ran to get help.

“As I was coming in to asses the situation, I see a young man in distress, as he is leaning over, I went into crisis mode. The kid was hyperventilating and having a panic attack so we had someone call 9-1-1 and begin having the student breath through the bag, so he could calm down,” explained Leach. “I took the bag off while soothing him letting him feel safe and get comfortable. He then stops breathing. I began checking the airway, tapping him to try and wake him up. He was not responding. I check his eyes they were rolled up, his skin went total white and splotches of red. He had no oxygen so I cleared his airway, tilted his head back and began inhalation. After the third try, he gives a big gasp of air and we got him back.”

Leach says what felt like hours was nearly a minutes time.

The event even had humor to it as Mr. Leach has been known to break up students kissing on campus by asking them if they are checking for chap stick–his way of defusing student’s romantic moments on campus without embarrassing them.

“I am sitting there trying to ask him simple questions to make sure he knows where he is an he tells me Mr. Leach, if you tell anyone I kissed you, I am going to kick your butt and says I am wearing chap stick,” said Leach. “I am sitting there like it could be brain damage, it could be anything and when he reiterated that funny joke, it defused the entire incident and the seriousness of it. I knew he was back.”

At that point, Leach says the ambulance was arriving and it was time to go back to his classroom.

“I went back to my classroom full of parents and they asked why I was gone for so long, I replied I just saved a kids life which for me was surreal to even say,” explained Leach. “At that point, they said our kids are safe with this guy, he can take care of them.”

He noted the rest of the night was difficult to focus but he got through it. On Monday, he saw the student and he was running around as if nothing ever happened.

Bill Leach doing a cartoon illustration during the 25th Anniversary Show of KTVU Channel 2’s Romper Room (early 80’s). Overlooking Bill is the one and only Pat McCormick who was best known for the Charley and Humphrey show (he also did the weather at KTVU).Romper Room was hosted by Miss Nancy who actually is the very talented Ruby Peterson. Photo © Copyright by Barry Cunningham.

“Thank goodness he is good. Just thinking about it puts me in a irritating excited mood. Most time I get excited over music. I am excited because this kid is alive,” said Leach.

For Leach, this was the second time in his life he had to perform CPR, the first was on his daughter when she stopped breathing because of an asthma attack.

Leach is in his 27th year of teaching and in 2007 was the Teacher of the Year. That same year, he received the Arts & Cultural Commission of 2007 Arts Recognition Award. In 2005 he was honored as “Best Educator” by Sylvan Learning Center and KTVU Channel 2.

Leach is an artist and has published multiple comic books including Tales from the Plague (Richard Corben’s earliest work), Clearlake Comix, Lake County Comix, Mendocino Comix, Sonoma County Comix, Horror From the Crypt of Fear (the only official EC horrorzine, issues 1-13).

He has been a drummer since he was 8 and is currently in the band Stereo Bounce which has been together for the past two years. Between 1981-86, he was also on the children show Romper Room teaching kids how to draw. He has also served as a panelist at Comic Con.

Clearlake Comix, written and illustrated by Bill Leach.

Leach says his favorite thing about teaching is he loves the creativity and sharing his talent with the students.

“Art and drawing is a learned ability,  I tell my kids anybody can do it you just have to plug away and it will happen. Little or old, I work them through my lessons, I see these lights go on. I do lots of demonstrations. I don’t say copy it, I project what I am doing on the wall so people can see what I am doing,” explained Leach. “As I am drawing, I am talking about the art process. I am letting them in my head, telling them all my questions in my head as I do it. I ask them questions and ask where should the head be, what about the eyes. It get in their head, eventually my voice becomes their voice and they don’t need me anymore.”

He says he got into teaching after his 10-year high school reunion when others became doctors or lawyers, he was still doing his graphic arts and screen printing. One of his friends became an art teacher and after a discussion, he knew what he wanted to do.

“The next semester I was enrolled in college and I never looked back. I did okay” says Leach. “At our 15-year reunion, a friend comes up and after I said what I said about teaching, he went into teaching. It became a cycle of inspiration and now I try and inspire my kids. If I can inspire adults, I can inspire children. I want to help people find a talent they may not know about.”

Gardner said Leach is a well-respected teacher and an asset to the District.

“Bill is a great teacher with great empathy and compassion for the students on the campus.  He is well liked by the entire DVHS school community, parents, students, colleagues and staff members,” said Principal Gardner.

Board President Diane Gibson-Gray was grateful for Mr. Leach being there.

“I am very grateful that Bill was in the right place, right time save our student’s life. I’m sure it was a frightening situation for all, but Bill did what needed to be done without hesitation,” said Gibson-Gray.

During Wednesday’s School Board meeting, Mr. Leach will be honored for his efforts by the Board of Education.