As children, our idea of a hero often revolves around someone wearing a cape. We think of those people as fighting the bad guys and keeping the world safe. But kids don’t necessarily think of themselves as heroes, even when they do incredibly brave things. Mesa, Arizona, resident Thomas Conley is only 8 years old, but he’s already saved a life as a third grader at Porter Elementary School.
He noticed a friend needed help in the cafeteria and, without hesitating, he stopped his friend from choking. Miraculously, the entire interaction was caught on school surveillance cameras.
Mesa Fire and Medical Department shared the incredible video on Facebook and honored Thomas for his bravery and dedication to his friends.
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It happened very quickly.
Thomas told KTAL he wasn’t sitting in his typical seat on November 14, but that ended up being a blessing. “I got kind of mixed up about where we were sitting,” Thomas said. “I ended up sitting in the back by Isaiah.”
Thomas quickly noticed something was wrong. “I heard him crying, so I was just like, what’s wrong? For a second, I didn’t know what he was doing, but finally, I realized he was choking,” he explained.
Thomas knew exactly what to do.
He immediately began the Heimlich maneuver. Surveillance video from the cafeteria caught the interaction on camera, but the kids didn’t make a big deal out of it. They didn’t get an adult or cause a ruckus. They just went on about their business.
Principal Kathy Ray told KTAL she learned about what happened later that day and checked the video. “I had to keep watching it. It was incredible,” she said.
Isaiah’s mom works at the school but knew nothing about the incident.
Maria Anderson told the Mesa Fire and Medical Department she was on lunch break when her students came into the classroom after recess to tell her what had happened. Isaiah shared that the incident “terrified” him, but he was so grateful to have his friend close by to help. Thomas simply told KTAL, “I don’t want Isaiah to die.”
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Thomas is a hero.
As a result of Thomas’ heroic deed, Mesa Fire and Medical Department honored the boy and his bravery. Along with a video of the ceremony, it shared the following dedication to the third grader on Facebook:
“We are honored to recognize a Mesa Public Schools young hero from Porter Elementary. Third grader Thomas turned a regular lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, making a huge difference. Seeing his friend in distress, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act courageously and promptly.”
