An 8-year-old boy in Pennsylvania solidified his status as a local hero when he used some quick thinking to save his baby sister from choking to death.
That would be a story in and of itself. But it all becomes even more stunning when we consider that the boy's heroic actions stemmed from skills he learned from a Nickelodeon show that featured pro wrestler John Cena.
Jaxon Dempsey, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania sat down with WYOU-TV to share how it all went down.
Dempsey had been sitting in the back of the car when his 20-month-old sister, Layla, began to choke on a chicken nugget. With his father up in the front driving, Dempsey took it upon himself to take control of the first aid responsibilities.
"It made me feel scared because I thought she was going to die, but then this thing came into my mind. I told my dad to pull over then I started to pat her back."
In textbook Heimlich Maneuver form, the young Dempsey leaned Layla forward and repeatedly patted her on the back between the shoulder blades with the heel of his hand.
After about 30 seconds, the nugget dislodged.
Dempsey's father, Matt Dempsey, couldn't believe his son's composure.
"I couldn't believe it. I mean he's always been a really good big brother, but I never knew he would know what to do with that. Most kids might panic and just start yelling."
Jaxon Dempsey went on to inform WYOU that he learned the Heimlich from WWE pro wrestler John Cena, who demonstrated the life-saving technique when he made a cameo appearance "The Substitute," a Nickelodeon show in which celebrities dress in disguises and teach a class of children before revealing their true identities.
When Layla was in dire straights, John Cena popped into Dempsey's head.
Jaxon was thrilled to have been so helpful.
"I feel like a hero so much in my heart."
He then offered some advice to all the other kids out there.
"So if they have a little sister and she's choking, their parents should teach them how to pat them on the back. And watch the very first episode of 'The Substitute' on Nick."
In a follow up story, WYOU reported that John Cena himself took a selfie video commending Dempsey for his bravery in such a moment of crisis:
"Hey Jaxon, this is 16-time WWE Champ--and peacemaker--John Cena saying hello. I heard a story about you and it really touched my heart--a story that, in a time of crisis, you were brave enough to take action, and in doing so, you saved your sister's life."
"I wanted to commend you because the actions of a true hero are those who do act in times of crisis. Usually, when bad things happen one of the toughest things for all of us to do is take action."
"You jumped right in and did the best you could, and in doing so you saved your sister's life."
"I really want to say thank you for being you, Jaxon. Thank you for being an inspiration. Thank you from all of us."
People were so refreshed to see such good news on their social media feeds.
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Annemarie Passetti McGlynn/Facebook
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It's a case in point that watching TV isn't always a waste of time. You never know what might come back to the front of your mind and save someone's life some day.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
