Churchill High School junior Charles Mata was wrapping up a Sunday shift at Whataburger when a coworker told him a woman was choking at the front of the restaurant. When Mata arrived, several people had already tried to help the woman by applying the Heimlich maneuver, but the food remained lodged in her throat.
"I noticed the man who was trying to help her wasn't pushing up into the right area," said Mata. "It's important to push up toward the diaphragm, and not into the stomach. At that point, she started to turn purple and blue and then she lost consciousness."
When Mata stepped forward to help, the woman was lying unconscious on her side on the floor.
"I used my right hand to try and push up into her diaphragm as much as I could," said Mata. "I used my left hand to apply some simple back blows. Luckily, she managed to cough it out, and I heard everyone breathe a sigh of relief. She was a little disoriented when she woke up, but she was okay."
Mata has always been interested in the medical field. He first recalls learning about the Heimlich maneuver in his eighth-grade health class at Bradley Middle School. He's gained even more knowledge from his health and medical courses at Churchill. After graduation, Charles hopes to combine his passion for the medical field and helping others by enlisting in the Army or Marines. Until then, he'll work at least four days a week at Whataburger while staying on top of his studies.
Charles didn't hesitate to step up and help a total stranger in need. His quick thinking may have saved a life, but he doesn't think of himself as a hero.
"If you want to be in the medical field like I do, you have to know this kind of stuff by heart," said Mata. "I just think about helping the person. The main goal is always to save someone's life. I don't really feel like a hero because I hope soon that will be my daily job. I hope this is just one of the many lives I'll be able to save."
