The Red Cross has awarded a parrot for saving a toddler’s life.
Willie’s owner was informed by his cries of alarm that the toddler she was watching was choking on her breakfast.
In November of last year, Megan Howard had left the room when the Quaker parrot started to act strange, yelling “Mama, baby” and flapping his wings to let Hannah know something was wrong.
When Megan returned in a flash, she discovered the young child had turned blue and had executed the Heimlich maneuver.
With this first aid technique, an obstruction in the patient’s windpipe is removed by applying abrupt, forceful pressure to the abdomen.
But Megan declared that Willie “is the real hero” at the Animal Lifesaver Award ceremony hosted by the Denver, Colorado, chapter of the Red Cross.
Samantha Kuusk, Hannah’s mother, stated: “No matter how many times I’ve heard it, my heart always sinks at the part where she turned blue.”
“My heart sinks to my stomach, and I start crying.”
Governor Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper were present at the Breakfast of Champions event on Friday, where Willie received his award.
