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An Arizona second-grader was celebrated as a hero — and honored at a school assembly last week — for his quick thinking after saving his friend who started to choke on his lunch during the school day.
Thomas Conley, an 8-year-old student at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., was enjoying lunch alongside his friend Isaiah just like he would any other day when on Nov. 14, his classmate suddenly stood up and stumbled over the bench.
“I heard him crying, so just like, ‘What’s wrong?’ And for a second, I didn’t know what he was doing. But finally, I realized that he was choking, so I just decided to do the Heimlich,” Thomas told KYMA.
Isaiah had started choking on a grape.
Thomas, with little hesitation, sprang into action and wrapped his arms around his friend’s abdomen from behind. Within seconds, he managed to dislodge the grape from Isaiah’s throat, saving his life.
“I’m super grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I was of him and how thankful I was,” Isaiah’s mom, Maria Anderson, said in a video posted by Mesa Fire and Medical Department. “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”
Candice Conley, Thomas’ mother, told Fox News Digital that teaching food and kitchen safety in their home was a no-brainer since they both work in the food industry. They gave full credit to the essential skills in their son’s arsenal — and his bravery.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, might not realize that somebody’s choking. Thomas just knew that he had to get air to go up to dislodge the grape,” Conley said.
“We are so proud of him,” the gushing mom added. “Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”
Thomas, however, really didn’t think that what he did was all that big of a deal.
“It’s because that I don’t want Isaiah to die,” Thomas told KYMA.
His mother also added that Thomas has generally been “very nonchalant” about the ordeal.
School officials sadly know how important the 8-year-old’s quick jump to action was.
Porter Elementary had a similar, but more tragic situation unfold nearly seven years to date in which a special needs student choked in the cafeteria and died, Kathy Ray, the Porter Elementary School’s principal, told KYMA.
So, the school rolled out the red carpet for Thomas to hail his fearlessness.
Last Tuesday, the Mesa Fire and Medical Department presented Thomas with a certificate to recognize his act at an assembly in front of all his peers.
“Thomas turned a regular lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, making a huge difference. Seeing his friend in distress, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident,” the Mesa Fire Department wrote.
“Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act courageously and promptly.”
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