An 11-year-old girl in New Jersey was honored by the Red Cross after she used a life-saving measure she learned from the organization’s babysitting class on her own brother.
Charlotte Cifelli of Fairfield on Monday received a Certificate of Merit, the highest award given by the American Red Cross, signed by President Joe Biden after she performed back blows on her little brother, 5-year-old Angelo, who was choking on his food. The incident occurred just a month after Charlotte completed the Red Cross' Babysitting Basics course.
"I noticed Angelo, instead of being squirrely and running around, he was standing by the trash, gagging, and his hands were over like this...like he was trying to get something out of his throat," Charlotte said.
"So I started hitting him on the back and giving him back blows, and then his food launched out his throat," she added.
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The incident occurred in the fall of 2020, according to the family.
