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Joy

7-year-old saves a choking friend’s life with Heimlich maneuver he learned on ‘The Good Doctor’

He thought it was something 'important' to remember.

heimlich maneuver, david diaz, choking
via Wikimedia Commons

A diagram on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

ABC’s “The Good Doctor” is centered around Dr. Shaun Murphy, a man with autism whose near photographic recall and ability to remember details make him an incredible surgeon. However, as a person with autism, he has difficulty communicating with his patients and fellow healthcare workers.

It’s a good show for families to watch because it takes on issues faced by people who have autism spectrum disorder. The show is also a great way for young people to learn life-saving techniques, according to a story reported by Fox News.

David Diaz Jr., 7, was eating lunch with his friend DeAndre at Woodrow Wilson Elementary school in Binghamton, New York, when he noticed his friend choking on a piece of pizza. David looked around and saw that he was closer than any of his teachers, so he got behind the choking child and performed the Heimlich maneuver.

David had learned the technique after watching “The Good Doctor” with his father, David Diaz Sr.

"The adults were circulating the cafeteria, monitoring," Kristin Korba, a second-grade teacher at the school, told Fox News. "David rushed behind [the choking student] and performed the Heimlich. "I went over right after it happened and checked [on the student]," Korba continued. "He was cleared by the nurse and parents [were] contacted."

After saving the boy’s life, David told Korba that he saw the technique on TV and thought it was something he should remember because it seemed to be something “important.”

David was commemorated for his bravery at a ceremony in his classroom where New York State Sen. Fred Akshar (R) presented him with a New York State Senate Commendation Award.

"When somebody needed it, you saved their life," Akshar told the boy in a video he posted to Facebook. "So I was pretty excited to be able to come because really, as your teacher said, you are a hero. You are. You saved somebody’s life. In the world in which we live it's nice to know there are people amongst us who are willing to give of themselves and help others and that's what you did."

Then he presented him with the award in front of his cheering classmates and DeAndre.

While it is pretty astonishing that a 7-year-old kid not only knew about the Heimlich maneuver, but how to successfully apply the technique, experts say it’s age-appropriate. The Heimlich Heroes foundation has training guides that teach children as young as the second grade to help people who are choking.

“Everyone can learn the Heimlich maneuver, regardless of size and strength,” the organization says on its website.

After his act of bravery, David’s dad isn’t discounting a career in medicine for his young son.

"If he’d like to pursue becoming a doctor when he grows up, I'll be happy to help him achieve that later in life. But it’s really up to him," Diaz Sr. said.

The Heimlich maneuver was developed by Dr. Henry Heimlich more than 40 years ago and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Learn more about how to perform the Heimlich maneuver at Mayo Clinic.







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Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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via Pixabay/Pexels and JessFamOfficial/TikTok

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“My ‘darling’ wife passed away 10 months ago,” the man wrote on Reddit’s Off My Chest forum. “She wrote a letter for me before she died, but I couldn’t bring myself to read it until now. She told me how sorry she was that she didn’t have the guts to tell me this to my face when she was alive.”

In the letter, the wife revealed that there was a “good chance” that the son he thought was his wasn’t his biological child. A few weeks before their wedding day, the wife got drunk at her bachelorette party and had a one-night stand with another man. Soon after that night, she became pregnant but was unsure who the father was.

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Mom proves the pain of being the ‘default parent’ by counting her 3 kids’ non-stop requests

“This validates my burnout, right?”

via Anna Shvets/Pexels and Jordan Klein/TikTok

Jrdan Klen counts the number of requests her 3 kids make in a day.

There never seems to be any downtime when you’re the default parent. You know, the parent that the kids go to first when they want anything, especially food. They're also the go-to person for school forms and bedtime stories, and the parents that the school reaches out to when a student is sick has to go home.

Some parents are the default because there’s an imbalance in the home, which forces them to assume most of the day-to-day child-rearing responsibilities. In other families, one parent is the default because the other is busy with work or other obligations.

Popular TikTokker Jordan Klein wondered why she becomes overwhelmed halfway through the day while watching her children. "I have three boys, ages 5, 3, and 1, and I continuously lose my sh*t. Sometimes it comes out. Sometimes," she said in a recent post. "I lose my sh*t right around 2 or 3 p.m. every day without fail. My husband works from home. But he does not lose his sh*t consistently. So, what's going on?"

To get to the bottom of her situation, she conducted a scientific study where she counted the number of requests she gets from her children on a given day, and the results were unbelievable.

This validates my burn out, right? #momtok #momsoftiktok #sahm #boymom #toddlermom #toddlersoftiktok #3under5

@jothemama

This validates my burn out, right? #momtok #momsoftiktok #sahm #boymom #toddlermom #toddlersoftiktok #3under5

"I downloaded one of those little counter clicker apps on my phone where I could just push the screen, and it ticks up one number, and I was just gonna hit it every time one of my children ...made a request,” Jordan said in her TikTok video.

Just ten minutes after downloading the app, her kids made 86 requests of her. She even didn't count repeats, and kids love to repeat themselves. “I guarantee you that if I were to ask my husband how many requests a day he gets at work... it's in the single digits, for sure," she added.

And they say being a stay-at-home mom isn’t a full-time job! “This validates my burnout, right?” Jordan captioned her post.

"I feel this completely, and point it out often to my husband. Like yall, Dad is RIGHT THERE. Ask him," CrochetFeen wrote in the comments. "I have 3 kids too and ‘Mom’ is now a triggering word," Sandra added.

The quasi-scientific experiment gives Jordan some excellent ammunition when talking to her husband about how they divide parenting duties. Even if it doesn’t mean he takes over the default role after work, it at least makes a great case that Jordan deserves more than a few lengthy breaks throughout the day and a few days off every month.

There is only so much stress and mental anguish that parents can take before they are no longer effective and cannot provide a happy and healthy home for their children. When evaluating domestic responsibilities, we often consider having a professional job more stressful than raising children. However, Jordan’s experiment proves that parenting can mean a lot more emotional labor, and families should take a second look at how default parents are valued.

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