When a diabetic student came into Kingwood Christian School nurse Leslie Bowen’s office May 19, she knew exactly how to handle the situation.

The student, who was complaining of low blood sugar, was not feeling well, so Bowen gave him something to eat to get his sugar levels back up.

But within a few minutes, the situation turned dire, and Bowen stepped in to save the boy from going into a diabetic coma.

As the boy began to have seizures, Bowen placed him on a cot to keep him from injuring himself.

Within seconds, the boy began to lose consciousness and his breathing nearly stopped.

“He was unresponsive,” Bowen said. “He was almost to the point of not being able to breathe. He was in a full-blown seizure.”

Realizing the boy was in severe danger, Bowen gave his a glucagon shot, which immediately began to regulate his sugar levels.

Within seconds, the boy began to breathe easier and started coming out of the seizure.

“He slowly, slowly regained consciousness,” Bowen said. “His body responded very well.”

Bowen stayed in contact with the boy’s parents and his primary physician during the ordeal, and he was eventually able to go home, where Bowen said he has fully recovered.

Bowen said had she not been able to give the boy the glucagon shot, the situation could have had a much worse outcome.

“If left untreated, he could have slipped into a coma or died,” Bowen said.

KCS Education Pastor Benny Cunningham praised Bowen for her actions.

“When she saw he was having a seizure, she knew what to do immediately,” Cunningham said. “She knew exactly what to do. A much bigger incident could have happened.”

Several years ago, Cunningham said the school decided to work a full-time nurse into the budget, and that decision paid off Wednesday.

“She’s a vital part of what we do here,” Cunningham said. “We couldn’t do what we do without her, and she puts families at ease knowing their children are safe here at Kingwood.”