Only a single moment can make a difference between life and death. When things slip beyond our control and hope seems lost it’s up to those closest to us to jump to the rescue!
Jackson Johnson, a student at West Jordan middle school in Utah couldn’t dream that lunch at his school would turn into a life and death struggle!
Jackson was having lunch when he began to choke on his chicken sandwich
Most of us have choked on our food once in our lifetime, it’s one of those things than just happen out of the blue and we can’t control. Our immediate instinctive reaction is to panic because let’s face it, choking is scary even when it’s not bad enough.
In Jackson’s case, however, it was so bad he found himself unable to breathe because the food he ate was stuck in his throat and obstructing his airway.
‘I was really terrified’
“I was really terrified,” said Jackson. “My immediate reaction was to see if I could cough it up into the trash can. That didn’t work, so I went over to Hunter and did the international sign that I’m choking.”
To make it worse, Hunter and a group of friends didn’t realize something was horribly wrong so they laughed at Jackson instead of helping him.
“Then he did the sign and his face was a different color and his eyes looked scared, so I did the Heimlich.” said Hunter
Fortunately, Hunter didn’t skip class on the day he learned the skill. He thought he’d never have to use the Heimlich.
Hunter’s eighth-grade health class paid dividends but he was also fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. He didn’t let himself be confused by the threatening situation and he knew exactly what he needed to do in order to save his friend from choking.
“I kind of knew exactly what to do,” said Hunter. “It was kind of ‘fight or flight’ mode and something just clicked in my brain and I kind of did it.”
It must’ve been a terrible experience for Jackson, struggling to breathe and thinking about what could happen to him if his friend’s effort proved unsuccessful. Luckily, Hunter paid attention in class and performed the maneuver perfectly. Jackson literally breathed a big sigh of relief!
“I’m very thankful that he knew how to do it,” said a relieved Jackson after the incident.
How do you perform the Heimlich Maneuver?
You can do the Heimlich even if you’re alone and choking by following these few simple steps:
- Make a fist, place it above your navel, while making sure the thumb side’s in
- Use your other hand to grab your fist then push it inward and outward and the same time
- Repeat steps one and two until you can breathe without difficulty
It’s pretty easy but extremely useful to know, as you never know when you might need it to help a friend or yourself if you have no one around to help you out.
Jackson was sure fortunate to have his friend Hunter help him breathe again but it wouldn’t have happened if Hunter hadn’t known how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
The dramatic moment was captured on a school surveillance camera. Watch the video below and don’t forget to like and share with your friends!
Source: YouTube
