First aid is something people learn when they’re going into a position that requires them to be responsible for looking after others. It’s a handy skill to have, even if you’re just learning it for work. Sometimes community centers offer basic first aid skills and there are some courses children can take help them earn a Scout badge or get a babysitting certificate.
Many parents also try to prepare their children for appropriate ways to respond in an emergency situation while hoping they never need it. But sometimes those conversations come in handy when it’s least expected. Thomas Conley, an 8-year-old from Mesa, Arizona, found himself at the center of a story about a hero after he casually saved his friend from choking without fanfare.
The two third graders were seated next to each other for lunch when Isaiah began to choke on a grape. At first Thomas didn’t realize his friend was in trouble until he noticed him crying and looking as if he was beginning to panic. It was then that the little hero recognized his friend was choking. Without any hesitation, Thomas pulled Isaiah to him and did a quick, forceful thrust—the Heimlich maneuver—immediately dislodging the fruit…