When he saw his classmate choking, 13-year-old Brandon Williams jumped to action. And now he is being celebrated as a hero in his school on Staten Island.
Jessica Pellegrino was choking on a piece of apple at the school's cafeteria. She yelled out, not being able to breathe. Then a quick-thinking Brandon, who is autistic, performed the Heimlich maneuver, which saved Jessica's life.
There's no shortage of instances when children with autism outperform their peers and excel in certain areas — take this kid who turned into a world-class athlete, or this one who has the voice of an angel!
But there was something special about how Brandon learned the lifesaving technique — he learned it from SpongeBob SquarePants! There is an episode that apparently teaches the maneuver, and Brandon was able to pick up the skill by just watching the cartoon!
The seventh-grade class later had a party for Brandon, and now the Barnes Intermediate School is saying that he deserves a medal.
But Brandon says that he doesn't need one — all that matter is that his friend is safe!
Though this is his first time saving a classmate, he's known for keeping a sharp eye on them, always looking after their well-being.
Who knew that such a valuable skill could be learned from a cartoon?
If you're proud of Brandon for his heroic actions, please SHARE!
