Eight-Year-Old Saves Grandma from Choking to Death: ‘Great Job, Kiddo!’

A little girl is being praised for staying calm during an emergency involving her grandmother in Clinton, Iowa.

Last month, eight-year-old Reagan Cook was not feeling well so her grandmother, Barbara Olson, decided to take her to the MercyOne Clinton Urgent Care Clinic to see a doctor, the Clinton Herald reported August 22.

The pair arrived early, bought food nearby, then sat inside their car while they waited for it to be time for her appointment.

But when Olson swallowed a piece of chicken that became stuck in her throat, she thought, “‘I’m going to die in the parking lot in front of my granddaughter,'” adding, “I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk.”

Choking cuts off oxygen to a person’s brain; therefore, providing first aid immediately is critical, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Cook repeatedly asked her grandmother what was wrong and Olson used her hands to try and tell the child what she needed to do to help.

Cook jumped into action by hitting Olson on the back. However, the blow did not dislodge the food so Cook got behind the woman and hit her approximately four times.

When a person is unable to talk, cry, or laugh forcefully while choking, the American Red Cross recommends administering five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of one’s hand.

Finally, the food moved enough so that Olson could breathe. While Cook ran into the clinic for help, Olson bent over, coughed, and the chicken appeared.

She then went inside the building to find Cook and told her, “Grandma’s fine now, honey.”

Social media users praised the little girl’s actions, and one person called her “a little warrior.”

“Great job Kiddo! glad grandma is ok,” another commented.

Choking is reportedly the fourth most common cause of unintentional injury and death, and food is often responsible when it comes to senior citizens, according to the National Safety Council.