Georgia Teacher Saves Choking Student with Heimlich Maneuver

When Dalton Tomberlain started choking on his burger at McClure Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia, he thought he might die. Within seconds, a teacher he'd never even had in class became the person who saved his life.

Valerie Hodge, an English teacher at the school, noticed Dalton clutching his throat shortly after lunch. The seventh grader was turning blue and couldn't breathe as food blocked his airway.

Hodge didn't freeze or hesitate. She immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver, drawing on training she received years earlier while working at a daycare during college.

"I didn't really even think, I just reacted," Hodge said. "I saw a student who was in trouble and just went into action."

The intervention worked. Dalton could breathe again, and what could have ended in tragedy instead became a moment that bonded two people forever.

"I felt a soreness in my throat, and I couldn't breathe," Dalton later recalled. "It was just scary. I thought I was going to die a little bit."

His mother, Courtney Tomberlain, learned about the incident after school. The reality of how close she came to losing her son hit hard.

"A situation like that can turn tragic in a second," Courtney said. "I'm so grateful she was there and my son was able to come home from school that day."

Sunny's Take

What makes this story extra special is that Hodge had never taught Dalton in any of her classes. She didn't know him personally, yet she acted without hesitation when he needed help most.

The instant connection forged in that moment speaks to something beautiful about educators. They don't just teach subjects. They protect, care for, and show up for students whether those kids are officially "theirs" or not.

Hodge never expected to use her Heimlich training in a classroom. But stepping in to help is simply part of who she is as a teacher, she says.

For Dalton and his family, gratitude doesn't begin to cover it. "She saved my life," Dalton said simply, words that will likely stay with Hodge forever.