An 8-year-old boy is becoming 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, saw his friend choking on a grape and sprung into action, according to local reports.
Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as an abdominal thrust — on Isaiah Rodriguez, who dislodged the grape.
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Mesa Public Schools praised Conley on social media after the moment of bravery that occurred on Nov. 14.
“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah was able to. Breathe normally Thank you again, Thomas, for your courage and being a true hero!”
Thomas’ mother, Candace Conley, spoke with Fox News Digital about her son’s life-saving actions.
“We are very proud of it,” he said. “Thomas is very quick-thinking and proactive – and he’s a really good friend.”
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The family would often argue Food safety And kitchen safety at home, Conley said, because both she and her husband have worked in the food industry, and she now works at the Maricopa County Public Health Department.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, may not realize that someone is choking,” he said. “All Thomas knew was that he had to get wind to go up to get the grapes off.”
Thomas Conley (right) saves his friend, Isaiah Rodriguez (left), who was choking on grapes in the school cafeteria. (Candace Connelly)
Connelly told Fox News Digital that the parents of Rodriguez, the boy Thomas Connelly rescued, were “very grateful.”
“The first time I saw his mother, I hugged her,” she said. “We’re just very thankful, most of all, that Isaiah is OK.”
“Thomas is very quick-thinking and proactive – and he’s a really good friend.”
“I’m so grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I am of him and how grateful I am,” Isaiah’s mother Maria Anderson said in a video posted by the Mesa Fire and Medical Department. said “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”
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Conley said Thomas has been “very neutral” about what happened.
“He was just like, ‘My friend needed help, and so I helped him,'” she said.
Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, recognizing Thomas’ heroic work. and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers. (Candace Connelly)
“It’s great that Thomas was a part of it and we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have been really scary back in the day.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said, “I’ve probably never been so focused 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’ heroic work and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.
Thomas Connelly is pictured with the Mesa Fire Chief, who recognized the boy’s heroic act. (Candace Connelly)
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on its Facebook page.
“Thomas turned an ordinary lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, which made a huge difference,” he wrote. “Seeing his friend in trouble, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Join us in praising this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us. Let us act with courage and urgency.”
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Introduced by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1975, the Heimlich maneuver is recommended by the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency. Cardiovascular Care As a first-line treatment for airway obstruction.
Research shows that this exercise has a success rate of over 86% in cases of choking.