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The Parent Report

It was an emergency, and a girl from Long Island, New York says she was inspired to help her friend thanks to a TV cartoon show.

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Can a TV cartoon show like Spongebob Squarepants help save a life? Yes, say 12-year-old 7th graders Allyson Golden and Miriam Starobin. The two best friends were in music class. Allyson was chewing gum, and she and Miriam were laughing about something, when suddenly Allyson started choking, and couldn't breathe. That's when Miriam sprang into action, and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her friend.

Their teacher at Long Beach Middle School on Long Island, Sanford Mauskopf, couldn't believe what happened.

Miriam says she was inspired suddenly to do the Heimlich on her friend, by something she had seen on an episode of Spongebob.

Miriam said she had no clue about what she was doing, until it was done...Allyson says when she couldn't breathe, it was the scariest moment of her life.

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