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Lunchroom worker performs Heimlich maneuver to free choking student
Summary
Julie, a lunchroom worker, said she performed the Heimlich maneuver on a student in the cafeteria after classmates shouted that the child was choking; the student resumed breathing and drank water after being checked by the nurse.
Julie, a lunchroom worker, said she performed the Heimlich maneuver on a student in the school cafeteria after classmates shouted, "he's choking, he's choking," and the child began breathing and was able to drink water.
The quick response occurred while the cafeteria was full, Julie said, and she credited training for her calm reaction: "When something like that happens, you don't have time to react; it's you just have to do what you're training for. So I was prepared and ready for it, and I didn't freak out." She said the child "started grabbing for his neck" and she "had him hit him on the back" before performing the Heimlich and lifting him from his seat.
After the maneuver, the student was seen by the school nurse and returned to his table to applause from classmates, Julie said: "They were so excited for him to come back to the table after he saw the nurse." Julie also described the personal connection she has with students in the lunchroom: "My favorite part is seeing all the kids every day... now they're all calling me miss Julie... I love coming to work every day and seeing all these kids."
The account in the meeting transcript focused on the immediate, life-saving action and the worker's views on being prepared and recognized by students. No further medical details, the child's age, the school's name, or other identifying information were specified in the transcript.
