DENVER, Colorado –
Cerebral palsy is a group of problems that affect body movement and posture. It is related to a brain injury or to problems with brain development, and it is one of the most common causes of lasting disability in children. A young girl in Tucson, Arizona wasn’t hindered by her disability earlier this week, though, when she saved her brother from choking.
Melissa Jones, 8, was able to expertly perform the Heimlich maneuver on her 4-year-old brother, after seeing it performed on an episode of Dora The Explorer.
According to her parents, Melissa is obsessed with TV, and they have no idea how she learned it, nor how she was able to perform it, but they are “extremely grateful” that she was around.
“She never does anything active, so this is amazing,” said Melissa’s mom, Jennifer. “We are amazed, and we hope that she is able to continue to be active in extreme circumstances.”