For Immediate Release: April 7, 2003

Audio Clip

Sen. Aldridge presents Ciara with Citation of Appreciation for her heroism while parents, teacher and school principal look on

Senate Honors Child Hero

The State Senate took a few moments on Monday to honor to one of Oklahoma’s newest and littlest heroes; a third-grader named Ciara Mitchell who recently saved a classmate’s life. Ciara, a student at Ridgecrest Elementary in Midwest City, successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver after realizing a classmate was choking on a piece of candy.

“I know there are literally thousands of Oklahomans who display courage and compassion every single day of their lives. But how many of us can actually say they saved another human being’s life? Not many. And to think that this little girl kept her head and prevented her classmate from choking to death is an extraordinary thing,” said Senator Cliff Aldridge, R-Midwest City, who presented Ciara with an official Citation of Appreciation for her actions on March 29th.

Ciara and other students at Ridgecrest had recently been taught the life-saving Heimlich maneuver by teachers and by members of the Midwest City Fire Department after a fatal choking incident at another area school. Because of that instruction, Ciara was able to save her friend, Danielle Reames, from choking to death.

Ciara said she was very happy that her friend was all right and hoped it would inspire other children to find out more about how to use the Heimlich maneuver.

“They should learn it too, and also teachers and principals and everybody so they can teach it,” said Ciara, who was joined in the Senate by her parents, Chip and Samantha Mitchell, her teacher Ruth Henderson, Ridgecrest Elementary Principal Kevin Hill, Jerry Lojka of the Midwest City Fire Department and other friends and family.


For more information, contact:
Senate Communications Division - (405) 521-5774