A Little Hero Who’s a Fan of “The Good Doctor” Saves His Classmate Using a Technique He Saw on TV

You never know what things can come in handy — even watching a simple medical drama can teach you a few things. That’s exactly what happened to the hero of this story: a second-grade student named David Diaz saved his classmate’s life using a maneuver he’d learned while watching the hit show, The Good Doctor.

The boy’s classmate started choking.

It was a day like any other with no sign of any trouble. The 7-year-old boy, David Diaz, was hanging around during lunchtime. All of a sudden, he saw his friend, DeAndre, stop breathing because of a piece of pizza that got stuck in his throat.

David rushed to help.

The cafeteria was being monitored by teachers, but David was sitting right across from the boy. As not to lose any precious seconds, the boy decided to help. He recollects, “I was surprised. I didn’t know what to do, so I just did it.”

He remembered The Good Doctor.

David performed the Heimlich maneuver, and he did it successfully. When the boy was asked where he’d learned the technique, he replied that he’d seen it on The Good Doctor. The boy said he wasn’t sure if he had been doing it correctly but kept going anyway. “If anybody is choking or is in danger, you always have to save them, if you don’t, then that could be really sad,” David said.

The choking student is fine now.

Right after David saved his classmate, a second-grade teacher, Kristin Korba, ran to check on the student who choked. Later, the boy was cleared by the nurse, and his parents were contacted.

David got an award.

The story spread all over the US, and even a representative from the New York State Senate paid a visit to the classroom, awarding David with a New York State Commendation Award and praising the little hero for his brave deed. A Binghamton School District representative also visited the fearless student.

Despite his actions, David doesn’t want to be a doctor.

The boy’s father said, “If he’d like to pursue becoming a doctor when he grows up, I’ll be happy to help him achieve that later in life. It’s really up to him.” His dad also hopes that David keeps learning from educational TV shows. When the boy was asked if he wanted to be a doctor in the future, he said, “I probably want to be a basketball player.”

Do you think watching shows is enough to be able to save someone’s life? Has anyone saved yours, or have you helped someone else?