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.
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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Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
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Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."