No matter your age or experiences, starting a new job can be anxiety-inducing. Imagine, then, what it must have been like for 15-year-old Jackson Teran to find himself in a life-threatening situation at work. In fact, the event took place on his fourth day as a busboy at Carnivore and the Queen, a restaurant in Chicago.
For a while, Jackson’s day was totally normal. Then, an alarming sound caught his attention. A nearby customer had begun to choke, and panic was rising in everyone who was nearby. This brave busboy, however, remained focused on the important task ahead: saving the choking man’s life.
“I noticed a man, he was choking and I noticed a noise, so I looked over there just to make sure everything was alright,” Jackson recalled. “I rushed over there and saw his face was getting red and I asked if he was OK and he started shaking his head.”
Busboy Saved the Life of a Choking Man
Despite any fears Jackson may have had in that moment, he didn’t allow them to get in the way of taking action — something that was no easy task, in part, because of the height difference between the teen and the man.
“He was a taller man so, when he stood up, I really couldn’t see that much,” he said. “So I just got behind him, I put my hands around him, and started doing the Heimlich maneuver.”
As someone who had never done the Heimlich maneuver on a person before, Jackson credits what he was taught in the 9th grade. That and the knowledge he’s gained from watching “a lot of 911 shows on Hulu.”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Jackson added. “I just reacted.”
And, in doing so, a life was saved. Truly, such an incredible feat for anyone, but especially for someone so young!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.