Dennis Adams was leaving a youth football game at Allan Trimble Stadium when he fainted, struck his head on a concrete curb, and severed an artery in the fall. A school nurse who happened to be nearby rushed to his side, applied direct pressure to the wound, and stayed with him until paramedics arrived — an intervention the Jenks school district now credits with saving his life.
Jenks Public Schools recently presented nurse Chelsea Franklin, who is stationed at Jenks West Elementary, with its Excellence in Safety Award for her quick, decisive action that day, according to a statement the district released to KOKI FOX 23. Adams and his daughters attended the recognition ceremony to thank Franklin in person. “She literally saved my life,” Adams said, adding that he will always be grateful to her, per the same report.
The district said its nurses care for the entire community, regardless of age or ailment — a mission that extended well beyond Franklin's usual elementary-school duties the day Adams collapsed. Jenks West Elementary, where Franklin works, serves roughly 1,870 Pre-K through 4th-grade students with a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to Homes.com. The school is part of a district that educates more than 12,500 students across its campuses.
A Stadium With Deep Ties to the Community
The incident unfolded just outside Allan Trimble Stadium, a venue with its own long history in Jenks. The stadium opened in 1929 as Hunter-Dwelley Field and was officially renamed in August 2017 to honor legendary former head coach Allan Trimble, according to Jenks Football History. Adams himself has a personal connection to the district: he is a 1970 graduate of Jenks High School, meaning the ground where he nearly lost his life sits on the same campus where he once walked as a student.
Jenks Public Schools reported that hospital surgeons had to stitch together Adams' severed artery and apply scalp staples to close the severe laceration before releasing him after a three-day stay. The severity of that injury underscores why Franklin's immediate response mattered.
A School Nurse's Role in an Emergency
Franklin's response highlights the role a school nurse can play in an emergency.
The incident underscores how quickly school nurses may need to respond to emergencies beyond the classroom.
For Adams and his family, the statistics behind school nurse staffing are secondary to the fact that one was there when it counted. The recognition ceremony gave them a chance to publicly thank the woman who, in the district's words, acted as a hero when a man collapsed just steps from his old high school.
