Children often pick up new skills quickly, sometimes picking up things you'd instead they didn't—like your exasperated expletives. However, sometimes, they acquire skills that prove incredibly useful, as demonstrated by 8-year-old Garrett Brown from Lakeview Elementary School in Norman, Oklahoma. Garrett recently performed a life-saving act when a classmate began choking on chicken nuggets in the school cafeteria.
Garrett’s ability to perform the Heimlich maneuver wasn’t something he learned in school but rather from his father. Garrett shared with Local 10 News, “My dad taught me how to do it when I was choking, and he showed me how to help others if they ever needed it.” This lesson proved invaluable. The incident unfolded during a lively chicken nugget day in the cafeteria, where excitement and supervision were limited. At the time, the only monitor was across the room when the emergency occurred.
When Cashton York began choking, the other children called out for help, but Garrett was quicker. Drawing on the Heimlich technique taught by his dad, Garrett rushed to Cashton’s side and successfully administered the maneuver, dislodging the nugget.
The swift and effective action left adults astounded. Jordan Nguyen, the cafeteria monitor, told Good Morning America, “It was so unbelievable that we had to review the security footage to confirm what we had witnessed. It was astonishing.”
The school's reaction was one of admiration. Garrett was honored with a “Hero Award” from Lakeview Elementary. Cashton’s mother, Tiffany Smith, expressed her gratitude to KOCO News, saying, “We can’t thank him enough for saving our son.”
Garrett’s experience highlights the importance of knowing basic life-saving skills. In response to this incident, Lakeview Elementary has begun offering basic life skills training to its staff and plans to introduce age-appropriate first aid classes for students. Nguyen explained, “These classes will help students feel more prepared for emergencies, whether at home or elsewhere.”
Garrett’s quick thinking saved a life and inspired his school to prioritize life-saving education. Hopefully, the skills learned will remain a preventive measure rather than a necessity.