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Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009

‘I hope to God I ain’t too late’

MCRAE —

Rhett Lee had forgotten his drink at lunch that Friday, so he went back through the cafeteria line at Telfair County Middle School.

He had just settled in his seat when his friend, Allie Holland, punched him in the arm.

“I didn’t think much about it,’’ he said. “She hits me all the time. I knew she wasn’t kidding when she almost broke my arm.’’

He turned to see her face flush with fear. Her skin was a shade of purple. Her eyes were red and filled with tears.

Allie was desperately trying to speak, but the words would not come. She made a gesture by holding her hands to her throat.

She was choking.

Rhett is 13 years old with a birthday coming up in December. He has known Allie since they used to hang out in diapers. They are in every class together at Telfair Middle. They killed their first deer while hunting on the same day.

Allie had taken a bite of hamburger steak. She said it was too hot to chew but she was trying to show good manners and not spit it out. Suddenly, it lodged in her windpipe. She was terrified.

Rhett sprung from his chair and grabbed her from behind. She is taller than he is, but he lifted her with the strength and adrenaline of at least a dozen eighth-graders.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to do next. After all, he had never performed the Heimlich maneuver. But he had seen it demonstrated on television. He had studied it on a wall poster at a local restaurant.

Rhett has suffered from severe asthma all his life, so he understands what it’s like not to be able to catch your breath.

One thought crossed Rhett’s mind when he grabbed Allie, clenched his fists against her abdomen and squeezed.

“I hope to God I ain’t too late.’’

A teacher, Elaine Page, noticed Rhett had gotten out of his assigned seat. But she did not immediately realize she was witnessing a young hero in action.

“He is always so playful,’’ she said. “When I first saw him jumping up and down behind her, I told him to sit down.’’

Rhett’s quick actions saved his friend. Although they were able to giggle about it later, they also have been giving thanks to a multitude of guardian angels for watching over them.

“I was shaking,’’ said Rhett. “I could barely finish my lunch. I don’t think I calmed down until halfway through fifth period.’’

Rhett’s mom, Wendy Lee, teaches gifted students at Telfair Middle School. She did not learn about her son’s heroics until later.

She said he was quiet on the way home from school that day a few weeks ago, so she asked him what he was thinking.

“Mama,’’ he said. “Allie could be gone right now.’’

Wendy felt nine years of emotions come rushing back.

“It’s something that is a part of our lives every day,’’ she said. “We are keenly aware of things like this. Rhett understands how quickly life can be taken away.’’

The grief keeps Wendy and her husband, Jonsey, and the rest of her family in its grips. She wears a silver necklace around her neck. It is a figure of her 15-month-old daughter, Sailor Kate, in a hat and beads.

Sailor Kate died in February 2001 when Wendy’s father, Clif “Randy” Yawn, accidentally backed over her with his car in the driveway. Rhett, who was 5 years old at the time, witnessed the tragedy.

Randy and his wife, Betty, were taking Rhett and Sailor Kate to the cemetery to place flowers on the grave of Betty’s mother, who had died a week earlier. Marie “Mama Rie” Fowler had a grocery store in Helena for more than 40 years.

The day of Sailor’s funeral, there were pink bows and teddy bears spread across every corner of the county. Some businesses even closed their doors.

In big cities, death often comes and goes without serving notice. But in small communities like McRae and Helena, the sadness paces every front porch and sits together in every church pew.

Rhett got his name partly because of his grandmother’s love of “Gone With the Wind.’’ Sailor was given her name because her grandfather was an old Navy man who loved anything nautical, even though he lived in landlocked McRae.

Randy — his grandkids called him “Poppy” — was one of Telfair’s most respected citizens. He worked as a nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dublin.

He was commissioned to carve a replica of the Statue of Liberty that has become a landmark in downtown McRae. He did other work as well, creating an Indian from a tree in nearby Little Ocmulgee State Park.

He later built a memorial gazebo in the driveway where the accident took place. He filled it with carvings of ducks, hearts and baby angels.

Randy lost his battle with cancer two years ago, but ask anybody in this town and they’ll tell you he really died of a broken heart.

Rhett was close to his grandfather. “Poppy” had used his medical knowledge to walk Rhett through what he should do in the event of an asthma attack. Wendy is convinced her dad might also have coached Rhett about what to do if someone stopped breathing or was choking.

Rhett is outgoing, athletic and loves the outdoors. His mother compares him to Huck Finn.

He also has what she calls “impeccable balance.’’ Randy once bought a unicycle at a yard sale. Rhett picked it up one day, knocked off the rust and learned to ride it. He did so well he advanced to a “giraffe’’ unicycle. It is 5 feet off the ground — as tall as he is. He has to climb a ladder to mount it. No broken bones yet, either.

A year after Sailor Kate’s death, Wendy gave birth to another daughter, Randi Chele, who is now 7. They named her Randi, after Wendy’s father.

In two weeks, Sailor Kate would have celebrated her 10th birthday. Wendy has seen the circle of life take shape around her. She and her family started the Sailor Kate Ministry (www.sailorkate.com).

The ministry sends homemade quilts to families who have experienced similar tragedies. It also donates “Sailor’s Snuggles” teddy bears to law enforcement agencies, hospitals and children’s homes.

Wendy has shared her testimony in a number of local churches. This past spring, during Mother’s Day, Wendy traveled with her mother and sister-in-law to California to present a quilt to a grieving mother.

The woman had returned from work one day and accidentally ran over and killed her 5-year-old daughter, who was riding her tricycle in the driveway.

Wendy has always considered Allie to be “a member of our family.’’

She hugs her son every day and tells him: “God put you in the right place.’’

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or gris@macon.com.