Teen honored for saving mother from choking

By Nick Lucchesi, as published in the Alton Telegraph .

The story of one of Alton's unassuming heroes starts with professional wrestling and a pretzel.

Randy Weigler, 17, recently was honored by the St. Louis Area Chapter of the American Red Cross for saving the life of his mother, Barb Weigler.

The teenager, who is spending his summer working at Spencer's gift shop in Alton Square, received training in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver less than two weeks before saving his mother's life. He was recognized July 23 with the agency's Lifesaver Award after being nominated by his Red Cross volunteer teacher, Mike Wood.

Randy Weigler, who admitted he was not the best student in his Alton High School health class, said he was happy to have paid attention that day.

"They kind of showed up at our school one day (April 24) and said they were going to teach (CPR and the Heimlich maneuver) to us," Weigler said. "It was one of the things I actually stayed awake for in health class."

On the night of May 6, Weigler was watching a movie in his bedroom when he heard his family yelling for help in the living room.

He gave this account:

"They were just getting done watching wrestling pay-per-view when I heard my dad yelling, 'She's choking again! She's choking again!'"

Weigler said the situation happens to his mother, who has Huntington's disease, quite frequently.

"I came in there and gave her three abdominal thrusts and dislodged the pretzel," he said. "She said kind of a 'thank you,' and we all went back to our everyday stuff."

While the younger Weigler does not think of himself as any sort of hero, his mother was grateful.

"He saved my life; I'm proud," Barb Weigler said. "He's my hero."

"I'm no lifesaver; I just stopped my mom from choking on a pretzel," Randy Weigler said. "I accepted the award for my mom."