Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Michelle Obama Says She Saved Choking Friend With Heimlich Maneuver at Dinner
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

Michelle Obama Says She Saved Choking Friend With Heimlich Maneuver at Dinner

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

Summary

  • Michelle Obama said on Wednesday's "IMO" podcast that she used the Heimlich maneuver to save a friend who was choking during a dinner with Malia Obama and two of Malia's friends.
  • The friend had a known esophageal issue that could cause food to get stuck, and Obama said she realized the emergency when the woman stood up, coughed and then signaled she was not OK.
  • Obama said she had never performed the Heimlich before, but the blockage came out immediately after she positioned herself behind her friend and acted.
  • Malia Obama and her two friends pulled back from the table during the incident, prompting Obama to tell them they had been "useless" in what she described as a "mother moment."
  • Kevin Hart, appearing on the episode with Craig Robinson, underscored the story's gravity before Obama summed it up bluntly: "Yeah, I saved a life."

Insights

The Heimlich maneuver can cause injury. What are the critical medical follow-up steps everyone should know?
How can training overcome the common bystander reaction to freeze or pull away in a life-threatening crisis?
Should basic life-saving skills like choking response be a mandatory part of every high school curriculum?