Texas Cheerleader Jumps Off Homecoming Parade Float To Save Toddler From Choking

Oct 07, 2019 by apost team

A cheerleader is being credited with saving a little boy's life after performing the Heimlich maneuver on him.

Tyra Winters, a 17-year-old cheerleader at a Texas high school, was participating in a homecoming rally when she heard signs of distress coming from the crowd. She was stuck on a float with other cheerleaders and football players, but she anxiously looked around.

Unknown to her, a two-year-old boy named Clarke was choking on a piece of candy. He wasn't getting any oxygen at all; he wasn't gasping or even coughing. His airway was completely blocked.

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His mother tried to help, but she didn't have any emergency training and didn't know what to do. Clarke's face turned red, then purple. His mother frantically looked for help.

"I just literally was holding him out and just running through the crowd, trying to hand him off to anyone," she told ABC News.

Tyra spotted the commotion in the crowd. When she saw Clarke struggling to breathe, she realized what was happening and jumped off her float without a moment's hesitation.

She knew exactly what to do. Her mother had taught her the Heimlich maneuver a few years before.

"He was turning purple," she explained according to People Magazine, "so I immediately jumped off the float. I ran down to the kiddo, and I was like, 'I got him,' and I grabbed him from the mom."

To the amazement of the crowd, Tyra performed the Heimlich maneuver on Clarke until he gasped and spit up the candy. He could breathe again! His mother was in tears of gratitude when she realized that her baby was safe.

The homecoming rally continued, but no one forgot about Tyra's heroism. The story of her quick action spread throughout the school and the community. Recaps were posted on social media. Before long, reporters were knocking on her door to get the scoop, and the whole thing had gone viral even beyond Texas. To provide closure, a meeting was arranged between Tyra and Clarke's mother. The women cried and embraced. Clarke's mother expressed her deepest thanks to the quick-thinking youngster. She told the media that she fully credits Tyra with saving her little boy's life.

"She saved my baby," she said according to KLTV, "I commend her for being a teenager and being trained."

What do you think about this story? Have you ever seen someone close to choking? Should the Heimlich maneuver be taught in schools? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to others.