COBB COUNTY, GA — A routine school day at a Cobb County middle school turned into a turned into a life-saving moment when an English teacher quickly stepped in to help a seventh-grade student who was choking after lunch.

Shortly after McClure Middle School students returned to class in December, English teacher Valerie Hodge noticed a student in distress. Seventh grader Dalton Tomberlain was clutching his throat and struggling to breathe. Recognizing the signs of a choking emergency, Hodge quickly intervened, performing the Heimlich maneuver, which is a skill she learned years earlier while working at a daycare.

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

Her quick response made all the difference in this situation.

Dalton’s mother Courtney expressed gratitude for Hodge’s actions, saying moments like that can turn tragic in seconds.

Although Dalton was never a student in Hodge’s class, the two are now forever connected by the life-saving moment.

“I’m really thankful,” Dalton said. “She saved my life.”