RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) – A 9-year-old at a school in North Carolina stepped in at the right time to help a classmate who was choking.
Jayceon Branch is a student at Raleigh Oak Charter Academy. It was one day during recess when he met and became friends with Donye Moore.
It was last week on the school’s basketball court when their bond strengthened.
“So last week, we were playing basketball, and he ate a granola bar, and we started playing longer until he started choking,” Jayceon said.
The unbelievable moment was captured on school surveillance video.
Donye can be seen in a dark-colored shirt bending over as he struggles to breathe. Jayceon, in white, notices immediately and comes to his rescue, squeezing Donye’s abdomen to help dislodge the food.
“And he was trying to say, ‘Hold on,’ but he couldn’t because he was choking. I didn’t know he was actually, actually choking so I just did my thing, which was a Heimlich,” Jayceon said.
The 9-year-old performed the life-saving technique without hesitation.
“I learned it from YouTube,” he said.
Jayceon quickly became a hero in the eyes of his friend.
“I felt surprised,” Donye said.
The parents of the two kids were also shocked.
Jayceon’s dad, Oluefami Branch, said he panicked when he first saw a missed call from the school.
“I’ve had to be called to the school before for him but I was hoping this time, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Don’t let this be this bad,’” he said. ‘So I got the voicemail and he told me it was all good news, I was like, ’Cool.‘”
After a sigh of relief, the parents came together to watch the video back for the first time, still in disbelief.
“It was surprising,” Aja Moore, Donye’s mother, said. “I’m just thankful his friend was able to demonstrate that on him.”
Back in good standing, Donye continues to light up while playing with his buddy in what is surely the start of a friendship that will last a long time.
Jayceon’s school said it also plans to celebrate his act of heroism.
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