12-year-old girl saves twin brother from choking in Leicester school cafeteria
By TAMMY MUTASA
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LEICESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A 12-year-old twin sister jumped into action, saving her twin brother when he was choking at Leicester Middle School last Friday.
They hope the frightening incident is an opportunity for other kids to learn what to do in an emergency.
The worst outcome went through Charlie Loverme’s mind when the 12-year-old was seen on surveillance video choking in the school cafeteria.
“I’m going to die,” thought Charlie Loverme. “It’s just scary and you just don’t know what’s going to happen next and it’s just really scary.”
But call it twin intuition – his sister Amelia spotted him, and she didn’t hesitate to save her brother with the Heimlich maneuver.
“It was just instinct, I didn’t really know what to do, I just feel like I had to help him,” said Amelia Loverme, who saved her brother’s life.
When Charlie had started choking on the piece of mozzarella cheese, other students around him were too shocked to act, some even ran and hid.
“They were all pretty scared and they didn’t know what to do,” said Amelia Loverme.
The Red Cross says if someone is choking and they can’t cough, speak or breathe:
1. Bend the person forward at the waist and give them 5 back blows.
2. Wrap your arms around them and give them 5 abdominal thrusts known as the Heimlich maneuver.
3. Keep going until the object comes out.
4. If the person goes unconscious, try CPR.
“I would say talk to the kids about life-saving stuff like this,” said Jason Loverme, Amelia, and Charlie’s dad. “Whether you think it registers or not, they may tune it out but clearly something registered and she recalled it when she needed it.”
The proud dad says kids never know when they’ll need the life-saving lessons.
“If you can help somebody and you can react regardless of if you’re nervous or not, you should,” said Jason Loverme.
Now the twins are even closer and back to doing what they love, playing ball in their Fenway Park-themed backyard and telling each other what to do. Amelia is, after all, an hour older than Charlie.
“I would just say thank you because I’m still here,” said Charlie.
Amelia got recognition from the school committee this week and the police chief will be working with the District Attorney to get Amelia an award too.
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