Fifth Grader Helps Save Bus Driver in Asthma Attack
Bella Scott's quick calls to her father brought emergency help to a school bus driver struggling to breathe in Cedar Rapids.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Asthma
Fifth grader Bella Scott noticed her school bus driver, Christine Huston, having repeated coughing spells and unusual breathing while riding home from Viola Gibson Elementary. Bella called her father several times, giving him information to find the bus, and he called 911 after arriving.
Why it matters
Paramedics diagnosed Christine Huston with a serious asthma attack, and she credits Bella's actions with helping to save her life. The episode highlights how a child's recognition that symptoms were not normal can lead to timely emergency care in Cedar Rapids.
The account rests on eyewitness reports from the student and driver and a paramedic diagnosis of a serious asthma attack, with no quantitative measures reported. The extraction does not describe the driver's current health status or the specific treatment she received.
The players
Bella Scott
A fifth grader who recognized the driver's distress and called her father for help.
Christine Huston
The school bus driver who experienced a serious asthma attack and credits Bella with helping save her life.
The details
Bella Scott was riding her school bus home from Viola Gibson Elementary when she saw driver Christine Huston having repeated coughing spells and making unusual breathing noises while struggling to communicate. Bella made several calls to her father, giving him information to locate the bus; he arrived, called 911, and paramedics treated Huston for a serious asthma attack.
Timeline
Date of the incident has not been specified in the source material; it occurred during Bella's ride home from school.
Health Landscape
Severe asthma attacks can occur without warning in ordinary settings such as a moving school bus, making rapid recognition and a prompt emergency call critical. This Cedar Rapids episode shows how a child's attention to a driver's symptoms can connect a patient to paramedic care within minutes.
Recognizing sudden coughing, unusual breathing sounds, or difficulty speaking can signal a severe asthma attack that needs emergency help. Calling 911 promptly, as Bella's father did, can get paramedics to the scene quickly.
The takeaway
Noticing that someone's breathing or behavior is not normal and acting on it immediately can make the difference in an asthma emergency. Anyone with a severe reaction should be taken seriously, and a 911 call is the right step when breathing is compromised.
Further reading
For more on managing severe breathing conditions, see our Asthma coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AM 950 KOEL.
