Mom Hopes To Thank Stranger Who Saved Choking Son At Sacramento Kings Game
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A local mom says a hero saved her young son's life at Sunday's Sacramento Kings game.
When he was choking on a piece of candy, someone in the stands jumped into action.
Cheryl Horner says it's hard to express her gratitude, but she'd like to have the chance to try, face-to-face.
"And I look over, and he's pointing to his can of mints and pointing to his throat," she said.
Her son, Jace, was choking on a piece of candy. He couldn't breathe or speak.
"And his face was turning colors, and I asked him, 'Are you choking?' and he just shook his head," he said.
Panicked in the Sleep Train stands, Cheryl started calling for help. She says the man sitting the next row down, a stranger, jumped over his seat.
"A guy picked me up, and pushed my stomach," Jace said.
"It was almost instinctual for him," Cheryl said. "He didn't even think about it, jumped right over and did it."
He gave Jace the Heimlich maneuver until the boy coughed up the candy. It may have saved his life.
"I really feel like he saved him," she said.
Jace went with his mom to get checked out by a doctor. When they got back to their seats, the hero was gone. He came back with a gift that Jace is still holding near and dear.
"The guy that did the thing to me he had a kid, and the kid gave a ball to me," he said.
In the commotion, Cheryl didn't get his name. She wants him to know just how appreciated he is, and hopes she'll get to tell him in person.
"People like him need to be recognized, because there were lots of people there and I was panicking, and he was the only one who jumped in immediately," she said. "As a mom, I would love to give him a huge hug."
The Kings called Cheryl on Tuesday night, and it seems they've spoken with the man, who told the team he'd like to remain anonymous. She's hoping he'll change his mind so someday soon, they can meet.
