I’d like to think that everyone knows how to do abdominal thrusts (aka, “The Heimlich Maneuver”), but people still die from choking, even right here in our area.

Last Friday, Dionne Williams — a beloved second-grade teacher at Walnut Grove Elementary in Vancouver — passed away. She had been in a coma since January 24, after she choked on food and went too long without air.

This is a tremendously sad story, especially given that Williams would have turned 41 just this Sunday.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; you just never know when an emergency might happen and it’s so important to be trained in how to take appropriate action when it does. I don’t know if people were around when Williams began to choke, but I can say that we teach the techniques to do abdominal thrusts on yourself when necessary.

Get trained in first aid and CPR; the life you save may be your own.