Cobb County teacher saves choking middle school student: "I just reacted"
The quick thinking of a Cobb County English teacher saved the life of a seventh-grader who started choking after lunch.
While students were heading back to class, McClure Middle School teacher Valerie Hodge noticed Dalton Tomberlain clutching his throat.
"I was eating a burger, and I felt a soreness in my throat, and I couldn't breathe," Tomberlain said.
Hodge asked Tomberlain if he was OK. When he shook his head, she jumped to respond.
"I didn't really even think, I just reacted," Hodge said. "I saw a student who was in trouble and just went into action."
Hodge knew the Heimlich maneuver from when she worked at a daycare center while in college. She never thought she would put it into action years later.
"I can't thank her enough," said Tomberlain's mother. "A situation like that can turn tragic in a second, and I'm so glad she was there to take care of my son. He was able to come home that afternoon because of her."
"I'm really thankful. She saved my life," Tomberlain said.