Tiger Paw Teacher Performs Heimlich on 2-Year-Old

We’ve all heard of the Heimlich maneuver, but have you ever had to actually use it? On Oct. 11, Giselle Gonzalez, a childcare teacher at Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center, had to put her training into action, and it’s something the Eoff family is eternally grateful for.

“Her attention, quick action and ability to stay calm kept our son safe from any long-lasting harm,” said father Dallas Eoff, who also teaches French at Ozark Junior High and Ozark High School. “I'm sure the situation was very emotional, but Gigi is an amazing woman for not only taking action, but making sure 15 other 2-year-olds were being taken care of for the rest of the day. We know our son has the best care for his well-being in her classroom.”

Gonzalez said she had taken the CPR training over the summer, and was glad she had. 

“I started the lesson when I noticed him choking on a biscuit. I ran toward him and started patting him and performing the Heimlich to clear the obstruction,” she said. “His lips were turning a little blue. I patted and performed the maneuver for a few seconds — about 15 seconds — he started coughing and breathing normally. I took him to the nurse's office for a final assessment.”

Tiger Paw Principal Dr. Elizabeth Dawson said she is thankful to have such a caring staff who work diligently to ensure children are safe. 

“We are so thankful that Ms. Gigi acted quickly to intervene when her student started to show signs that he was struggling to breathe while eating breakfast,” Dawson said. “She followed all the appropriate first-aid steps and her quick action prevented a potentially devastating outcome.”

Gonzalez said she thinks everyone — no matter where you work — should consider participating in a CPR training.

“It was really scary and I was shaking at the end, but really grateful for the CPR training I just took a few months ago for my foster parent license,” she said.