8 year old boy running He was hailed as a hero After saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria.
Thomas Conley, a second-grader at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, noticed his friend was choking on a grape and took action, according to local reports.
Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as abdominal thrusts — on Isaiah Rodriguez, which dislodged the grapevine.
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Mesa Public Schools paid tribute to Conley on social media after the heroic moment on Nov. 14.
An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria. (Candice Conley/Mesa Public Schools)
“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah was able to do this Breathe normally once again. Thank you Thomas for your bravery and for being a true hero!”
Candace Conley, Thomas' mother, spoke with Fox News Digital about his son's life-saving actions.
“We are very proud of him,” she said. “Thomas is a quick thinker, very active, and just a really good friend.”
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Family is often discussed Food safety And kitchen safety is at home, Conley said, as she and her husband worked in the food industry, and she now works for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, may not realize that someone is choking,” she said. “Thomas knew he had to get the air to come up to dislodge the grapes.”
Thomas Conley (right) saved his friend Isaiah Rodriguez (left) who was choking on a grape in the school cafeteria. (Candice Connelly)
The parents of Rodriguez, the boy who was saved by Thomas Conley, were “extremely grateful,” Conley told Fox News Digital.
“The first time I saw his mother, I just hugged her,” she said. “We are so grateful, most of all, that Isaiah is doing well.”
“Thomas is a quick thinker, very energetic, and just a really good friend.”
“I'm so grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I was of him and how grateful I was for him,” Isaiah's mother, Maria Anderson, said in a video released by the Mesa Fire and Medical Department. “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”
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Conley said Thomas was “very nonchalant” about what happened.
“He was like, 'My friend needs help,' so I helped him,” she said.
Porter Elementary School held a meeting with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas' brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers. (Candice Connelly)
“It's so great that Thomas had a part in that and that we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have been terrible that day.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said: “I've probably never gotten this much attention in my life.”
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Last week, Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas' brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.
Thomas Conley was photographed with the Mesa Fire Chief, who recognized the boy's heroic act. (Candice Connelly)
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on their Facebook page.
“Thomas turned a routine lunchtime routine into an extraordinary act of courage, and made a huge difference,” they wrote. “When Thomas saw his friend in distress, he wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah's life from a choking accident. Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act with courage and speed.”
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The Heimlich maneuver, introduced by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1975, is recommended by the American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency care. Cardiovascular care As a first-line treatment for airway obstruction.
Research has shown that the maneuver's success rate is more than 86% in cases of suffocation.
