A first grader in Rhode Island became an unlikely hero when he jumped up from his seat and saved his choking friend using a technique he remembered from kindergarten.
When A Little Boy Became The Bravest Person In The Room
So here’s what gets me about this story. God uses the smallest people to do the biggest things. And I mean that literally this time.
On April 9 Sameer Santana was eating snacks with his classmates at Stephen Olney Elementary School in North Providence. Just a normal day. Kids laughing and munching on apple slices. Then his friend Jabril Brewster started choking.
The teacher told everyone to stay calm and sit down. She was going to call for help. But Sameer? He got up and ran straight to Jabril.
“I saw him choking,” Sameer said. “Then, I came and ran and did the Heimlich on him.”
This kid is seven years old. Seven. And he remembered a lesson from health class back in kindergarten. “I paid attention, so I remembered,” he explained. “I knew what to do, so I did the Heimlich like how they taught me, and the apple came out right away.”
His Mom Had No Idea
When the school called Ciara Santana she burst into tears. She didn’t even know her son knew the Heimlich maneuver. Like most of us she probably figured kindergarten was all about coloring and learning the alphabet.
“I’m so incredibly proud of his action and bravery, knowing that he actively helped instead of just being a bystander,” she said.
And honestly that part hits different. Because so many of us adults freeze in moments like that. We hesitate. We look around waiting for someone else to step in. But not this kid.
The Whole Community Showed Up
Principal Stephen Pacitto didn’t take the moment lightly. “Had that not happened, you know, what the outcome could have been and how I would have felt as a parent in that situation would have been, obviously, devastating,” he said.
On April 28 first responders, North Providence Mayor Charlie Lombardi and Sameer’s classmates all came together to honor him with awards at a special school event. “This is so important that everyone should know what this gentleman did, what he represents, and hopefully, it’ll inspire other students,” Lombardi said.
“We are just super proud of Sameer and the initiative he took. We’re thankful for him,” Pacitto said.
Sameer says he wants to be a police officer when he grows up. But he’s already shown everybody he doesn’t need a badge to save a life.
What This Story Tells Us
We teach our kids things and sometimes we wonder if they’re even listening. This story tells us they are. Every small seed we plant in their hearts matters. That may be the very reason God uses them for His purpose later.
So teach your children well. Pray over them. Trust that God has a purpose for them.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6
WATCH: 7-Year-Old Jumps Into Action and Saves Friend’s Life
