GARY, Ind. – A group of Gary seventh-graders received special recognition this week for their role in saving their teacher’s life during a recent asthma attack.

Indiana Congressman Peter Visclosky presented Aspire Charter Academy 12-year-olds Sydn’e Duncan and Jalen Tinco with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for helping their teacher, 50-year-old M’onique Hutchinson during a life threatening asthma attack, ABC 7 reports.

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Hutchinson suffers from severe asthma that can be triggered by cologne, which one student was wearing a few weeks ago. Aware of her condition, the English teacher previously instructed students on how to take action in case of an episode, and they didn’t disappoint.

When Duncan noticed a classmate wearing cologne, she moved him away and wiped down his chair, but her teacher was already in trouble, according to the news site.

“Sydn’e said, ‘Ms. H, are you OK?’” Hutchinson said, adding that she tried to assure her students she was. “She said, ‘No, you are not.’ I couldn’t breathe. My chest became tight and everything.”

“I didn’t think she was OK, she didn’t look well,” Duncan said. “Plus we knew that if she sat down, it wasn’t good.”

In a flash, Tinco ran down the hall to flag adults for help.

“I just ran down the hallway, across, went to get Ms. Bayor and Ms. Beal,” Tinco said.

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Officials called 911 and Hutchenson was hauled to the hospital by ambulance, ABC 7 reports.

“For them to do what they did for me, I owe them my life,” the teacher said, “and I’m thankful for that.”

Visclosky visited the students in person to present them with the flag, which the teacher and her student unfurled together.

“I took it very seriously, even though our class has our ups and downs, we still care,” Duncan said.

Hutchinson told ABC 7 she wanted to share the story to highlight something positive in Gary.

She believes that talking her students through an asthma attack before it happened was key.

“We had a plan on what to do,” she said. “I would recommend tis to any school.”