A 13-year old autistic teen who performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking classmate says he learned the technique from watching SpongeBob SquarePants.
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The Staten Island Advance reports it worked – Jessica Pellegrino coughed up the offending piece of fruit and survived the incident.
A party was held in class on Thursday to honor Brandon, who is being hailed as a hero worthy of a medal by various school staff members. Brandon Williams, 13, was eating lunch October 28 when he saw Jessica Pellegrino-a fellow special-needs student-struggling to breath.
Newspapers from the New York Post, to the Washington Post to as far away as the Daily Mail are retelling the heroic act of 13-year-old Brandon Williams.
“The cafeteria is always very noisy, but I heard the kids calling me”, he recalled. “I’ve never seen anything like it. a few people may have preconceived notions about autism, but these kids are intelligent, loving, just fantastic, kids”.
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When Brandon’s father, Anthony, asked Brandon where he learned to give the Heimlich maneuver, Brandon instantly replied, “Learned it on SpongeBob”. And we’re glad he did. “I was ready to jump in, but Brandon had it”, said Brian Griffin, Brandon’s paraprofessional at school and a retired NYPD officer. “I don’t need a medal. I’m good; I’m good”.
