Peachtree City

resident Vanessa Birrell rescued one of her son's 4-year-old playmates

last week when he began to choke on a piece of candy.

Originally,

Birrell thought Carson Brooks was trying to imitate the farm animal noises

her son, Chandler, makes. Soon, however, Carson's face turned red.

"I realized

that I was watching him gasping for breath," Birrell said.

But with one

thrust to Carson's abdomen, the piece of candy a Lifesaver was ejected

from his mouth.

The boys then

asked if they could go out and play, and Birrell agreed so she could watch

them and go tell Carson's mom, Donna, who was outside next door.

"It was

really scary," Birrell said. "But it felt good to be able to

save his life. I'm glad I knew what to do...we were all very, very lucky."

Birrell had

just taken a first-aid and CPR course to gain her certification to lead

her daughter's Brownie troop. A Girl Scout herself, Birrell earned her

first-aid badge when she was 14. "I felt I was re-enacting the class,"

she said.

The kids were

in the kitchen watching a movie on the living room TV when Carson began

to choke, Birrell said. That's one of her rules: you have to eat in the

kitchen.

At the time,

Birrell was planning to start dinner but she decided to pay attention

to Carson and react to what she thought were his attempts to mimic Chandler's

duck and pig noises.

Had she turned

away, she might not have heard or noticed Carson choking. Chandler didn't

even notice it, Birrell said.

"I just

want the word to get out for people to be aware and be educated,"

Birrell said. Her mother-in-law, a nurse, once saved her husband's life

"I think

everybody should know CPR," Birrell added.