A woman from the suburbs of Schaumburg, Illinois, has become a beacon of quick thinking and lifesaving action, having successfully intervened in three separate choking incidents over the years.
Becky McNamee’s first heroic act dates back over three decades when she saved her own infant daughter from choking. Her most recent act of heroism took place at Schaumburg High School, where she is employed.
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Reflecting on her ability to stay calm under pressure, McNamee acknowledges that she can’t pinpoint where or when she mastered the Heimlich maneuver. Nevertheless, this simple yet effective technique has proven crucial in her life-saving efforts.
The scene at Schaumburg High School was bustling with the usual midday activity as students and staff gathered for lunch. Just as McNamee was preparing to take a break, a moment of serendipity kept her nearby. One of her students managed to signal her attention in distress, indicating he was choking.
Her immediate response and familiarity with the Heimlich maneuver enabled her to act swiftly, underlining the importance of such skills in everyday situations. McNamee’s story is a powerful reminder of how vital it is to be prepared for emergencies, as you never know when you might save a life.
It was lunch time at Schaumburg High School, and McNamee was about to leave on a break, but she stayed around for a few minutes, just long enough for one of her students to get her attention to show he was choking.
“I immediately turned him around and started doing chest thrusts. I’m 5-feet tall, and he was much taller than me,” McNamee said
She says she immediately acted on instinct.
More than 5,000 people a year die from choking.
It took what seemed like several exhausting minutes, but she finally managed to dislodge the food stuck in his throat.
She says it was an incredibly emotional moment afterward when they both realized what could have happened if she failed.
School District 211 honored McNamee with a life safety award.
“We’re really grateful she had these skills in the moment to respond because there was so little time to respond,” Principal Tom Mocon.
McNamee says she first performed the procedure more than 30 years ago on her infant daughter who was choking.
Then, she did it again on another Schaumburg student who was choking in the lunchroom about 15 years ago.
Each time she says it was incredibly emotional and frightening.
But she says she believes most everyone would have responded the same way in an emergency.
“You do nothing, and you could lose somebody. You have to do something with any lifesaving situation,” McNamee said.
McNamee says while she’s uncomfortable with all the attention, the most important thing that can come out of this is more people learn what to do when someone is choking.
