Hero kid saves choking classmate

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A student at Frank Elementary School in Klein ISD is being hailed a hero after he jumped into action and saved a classmate who was choking in the lunchroom.

A lot of 10-year-olds might not want all the attention that this deed brings with it, but that's not the case for Tyler Hudson.

On Thursday, the Hudsons came to school to meet with the assistant principal about their son. It was not for a problem, but for praise because of what Tyler did Wednesday at lunch in the school cafeteria.

"I put my hands around her, under her arms, and pressed as hard as possible to make sure she was OK," said Tyler.

He is demonstrating what he calls "the hammer move." We might know it as the Heimlich maneuver, but it had the same effect on a choking classmate who had something lodged in her throat.

"A hot Cheeto," said Tyler.

His hammer or Heimlich worked. The classmate was fine, but his parents are still swelling with pride.

"Very proud parent," said father Rodney Hudson.

"This is what parents live for. For me, it just lets you know you're doing something right," said mother Christina Hudson.

It's a tradition at Frank Elementary that kids can praise a classmate's action on the PA system. The student who Tyler used the hammer move on gave a schoolwide message to him.

"The little girl said, 'Thank you for saving my life when I was choking in the cafeteria,'" said Assistant Principal Theresa Scardino.

And that's his reward from a little girl, his parents and and his classmates, all of whom think he's a pretty special fourth grader who's cool in a crisis. Tyler is not denying it either.

"It feels like I'm the king of the world," Tyler said, laughing.

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local, deborah wrigley

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