‘Hero’ Chick-fil-A worker saves the day when young girl starts choking in parking lot
.jpeg "A Georgia mother shared the moment an employee working the drive-thru at a Chick-fil-A in Newnan stepped in to save her choking daughter.")
A Chick-fil-A employee didn’t hesitate when she heard cries for help.
Now, she’s being called a hero.
Liliana Leahy described the moment worker Mia Velez darted from the drive-thru at a Truett’s Chick-fil-A in Georgia to help her young daughter, who was choking.
The scary incident unfolded Monday, Sept. 18, when Leahy and her daughter, Theia, stopped in for lunch at the Newnan restaurant, according to an Instagram post. She said they were waiting for their food in the parking lot when Theia “started to make a weird choking sound.”
“I ran so fast to get her out of her car seat, she was crying and couldn’t breath, pointing to her mouth,” Leahy wrote.
The mom said she was so panicked, she froze. As the fear set in, she shouted for help.
That’s when Velez, who was working the drive-thru lane, “dropped everything and ran” to them, according to Leahy. Using the Heimlich Maneuver, Velez ejected a coin caught in the young girl’s throat.
“We’re so proud of you, Mia!” a Facebook post on Truett’s Chick-fil-A page reads, praising the “hero” employee. “You were in the right place at the right time, and made the choice to spring into action, which made all the difference for this family.”
Leahy was equally grateful for Mia’s quick action, writing: “I can’t thank (her) enough for saving Theia.”
Mia, who began working at the restaurant a few months ago, told WSB-TV it was her first time using the Heimlich on someone.
Theia is expected to be OK and enjoyed an ice cream cone afterward, her mom said.
McClatchy News reached out to Truett’s Chick-fil-A for comment Friday and was awaiting a response.
Newnan is about 40 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published September 22, 2023 at 8:30 AM with the headline "‘Hero’ Chick-fil-A worker saves the day when young girl starts choking in parking lot."