By Elliot Esterman

Suzanne Haley, a paraprofessional at Briarwood Elementary School, was hiding with kids under desks when the Tornado in Oklahoma struck and destroyed 17 miles of land. While protecting her students, the leg of a desk impaled her calf muscle which, injuring her greatly, but because it didn’t hit an artery, she most likely will not have to have her leg amputated.

Images of her leg are very graphic and accordingly, were blurred, but this website  has links to an uncensored photo of her injuries: http://www.okcfox.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kokh_vid_11250.shtml

Many people now call her a hero for saving the lives of many children in her school. During the tornado, she asked one of the kids to check some pressure she was feeling on her leg, she thought that her leg was stuck under some heavy things, but the child screamed and said that it was in her leg, and surprisingly, she remained calm and could hold herself up.

Her initial visit to the hospital, they said that they could not cover her medical fees, but later she was covered. A fund was set up in her name to help her pay for more medical expenses, and to buy a new car, but all the children she protected and herself are all safe and recovering.  Suzanne Haley is a testament to the heroic acts that occurred that day in Oklahoma.