Kaden Mancilla and Eban McKenzie are best friends, but a life-changing moment at school has brought them closer than ever.
The two middle schoolers spend a lot of time together, including lunch, when they sit together at a table in the cafeteria. It was in the middle of a lunch period that Kaden nearly died.
Eban was telling a joke that made his friend laugh. Kaden, who was snacking on a carrot, started to choke.
I’m pretty sure I would have panicked in that moment, but Eban knew exactly what to do.
The 13-year-old had no training in first aid, but he knew exactly what to do. Eban said: “He had his hand over his throat just coughing and coughing. Everybody has the general sense of knowing what to do, but I didn’t really know how to properly actually do it, but I tried the best I could.”
Immediately, Eban sprang from his seat and rushed to Kaden. He says, that “it kind of just happened. I didn’t panic. I just thought, ‘Well, he’s choking,’ and got up and just did it.”
When teachers started to notice the commotion, they thought the two boys were horsing around — but when they watched the school’s security footage, they realized what was actually happening.
Check out the video below to meet Kaden and Eban, and to see the amazing moment Eban saved his best friend’s life.