Autistic boy saves choking friend with Heimlich Manoeuvre

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy from Staten Island, NY, has been hailed a hero after he prevented his classmate from choking. What is amazing is that fun kid's tv show 'SpongeBob SquarePants' appears to be responsible for teaching him the life-saving technique. Brandon Williams, who is autistic, was eating lunch at Barnes Intermediate School when he noticed classmate Jessica Pellegrino choking on a piece of apple. Taking action, Brandon wrapped his arms around her midsection and gave a thrust to her diaphragm which thankfully caused Jessica to spit out the apple. Incredibly, Brandon has said that he picked up the Heimlich Manoeuvre from watching an episode of his favourite tv show 'SpongeBob SquarePants'.

“He picks up on things that most of us would miss, and files it all away in his head, and he can recall it all in an instant,” Williams’s dad Anthony told Staten Island Live. “That’s how he knew instantly what to do. And we’re glad he did. We’re proud of him.”

Brandon and Jessica's class threw a party to celebrate his heroism and we think he really deserved it. Did you also catch this story about a barber and a special autistic boy today? Don't miss it.