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An 8-year-old boy is found hailed as a hero after saving the life of his friend who was choking in the elementary school canteen.
Thomas Conley, a second-grader at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, noticed his friend choking on a grape and sprung into action, according to local reports.
Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as abdominal shakes — on Isaiah Rodriguez, which dislodged the cluster.
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Mesa Public Schools praised Conley on social media after the heroic moment on Nov. 14.
An eight-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after he saved the life of his friend who was choking in an elementary school canteen. (Candice Conley/Mesa Public Schools)
“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah made it breathe normally again. Thank you Thomas for your bravery and being a real hero!”
Candice Conley, Thomas’ mother, spoke to Fox News Digital about the actions that saved his son’s life.
“We are so proud of him,” she said. “Thomas is very quick and active – and he’s just a really good friend.”
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The family often argues food safety and kitchen safety at home, Conley said, since she and her husband worked in the food industry and she now works for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, maybe don’t realize that someone is choking,” she said. “Thomas just knew he had to get some air to get the grapes out.”
Thomas Conley (right) saved his friend, Isaiah Rodriguez (left), who was choking on a grape in the school cafeteria. (Candice Conley)
The parents of Rodriguez, the boy Thomas Conley saved, were “so grateful,” Conley told Fox News Digital.
“When I first saw his mom, I just hugged her,” she said. “We are so thankful, most of all, that Isaiah is okay.”
“Thomas is very quick and active – and he’s just a really good friend.”
“I’m super grateful and I wanted him to know how proud I am of him and how grateful I am,” Isaiah’s mom, Maria Anderson, said in a video released by the Mesa Fire and Medical Department. – He and my son have been friends for a long time.
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Thomas was “very nonchalant” about what happened, Conley said.
He just said, ‘My friend needed help, so I helped him,'” she said.
Porter Elementary School held an assembly with Mesa Fire and Paramedic first responders, who recognized Thomas’ act of bravery and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers. (Candice Conley)
“It’s super cool that Thomas was a part of it and that we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have gone really badly that day.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said: “I’ve probably never had this much attention in my life.”
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Last week, Porter Elementary School held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Paramedic Departments, who recognized Thomas’ act of bravery and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.
Thomas Conley is pictured with the Mesa Fire Chief, who recognized the boy’s act of heroism. (Candice Conley)
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on its Facebook page.
“Thomas turned a regular lunch into an extraordinary act of courage, making a big difference,” they wrote. “Seeing his friend in trouble, Thomas wasted no time springing into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Please join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act boldly and quickly.”
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The Heimlich maneuver introduced by dr. Henry Heimlich 1975 recommends American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergencies Cardiovascular care as the first line of treatment for airway obstruction.
The maneuver has a success rate of more than 86% in choking cases, research has shown.
