Nurse teaches life saving skills to nephew who then saves classmate

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Christian Swope, a sixth-grader at Liberty Middle School, was having a pretty normal day on Wednesday before things took a turn. Christian was eating lunch in his class when he noticed a classmate needed help. The student was choking and was unable to breathe.

Most middle schoolers would have probably been too entranced in their gadgets to have known what was happening. Not Christian!

Christian ran to the student and performed the Heimlich maneuver. The food was dislodged allowing the student to breathe again.

“My friend was choking and couldn’t breathe,” Christian said.

Understanding this type of lifesaving skill at such an early age is rare.

Where did he learn to do it?

“My auntie is a nurse and she taught us how to do CPR and the Heimlich, so I wasn’t scared because I knew what to do,” Christian said.

His aunt taught both Christian and her son how to do both CPR and the Heimlich on a skeleton she had from nursing school.

“I was just so ecstatic and shocked when I found out. When you get a call from the school during the day you don’t expect it to be good news. I was just speechless and absolutely proud when they told me what he did. He actually saved a life,” said Mercy Aguilar, Christian’s aunt.

Aguilar thought it was important that the boys both knew these important lifesaving skills. She had no idea that her teachings would be tested so soon.

“When I was teaching both of them the safety moves, I never in my wildest dreams thought they would ever put them to use. But he did. I’m absolutely proud of him. He actually got it and was effective using the maneuver,” Aguilar said.

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Christian’s classmates were equally surprised and proud of the young scholar. The kids clapped and cheered in support of their classroom hero.

“In a situation where many adults may have panicked, Christian was calm and knew what to do. To know how to do the Heimlich maneuver at 12 years old is amazing. He’s definitely a hero in my book,” said Principal Keisa Vincent.

Because of his bravery, Christian was awarded the Coin of Distinction by Newton County School Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey.

“This coin is reserved for the individuals who go above and beyond because it’s the right thing to do; they are selfless and demonstrate their commitment to others through their actions and words,” Fuhrey said.

When asked how he felt Christian said, “I feel good. And I feel proud of myself. When I got home my auntie called me a hero.”

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