McDonald’s teen staff saw a mom 'coughing like crazy' in drive-thru—a small detail made her jump through window to save her
Customer service employees need to be mindful of their customers and how they interact with them. Their duty often goes beyond attending to the customer’s orders and needs. A 15-year-old teen with autism, Sydney Raley, working at McDonald’s drive-thru managed to rescue a customer because of her eagle-eyed observation, as per CNN. The customer, who was a mom, arrived at the drive-thru to place an order. However, when she began coughing uncontrollably, Raley went out of her way to help her and managed to save her life in the nick of time.
Raley was working her shift like any other day. Positioned at the drive-thru station and in charge of handing over the food to the customers. She had given a few items to the woman and was about to go and get the rest of the order when she spotted the mom in trouble. “She was coughing like crazy and I noticed she was gagging,” the employee said. She added that the customer’s daughter was in the passenger seat but was freaking out. Immediately, the teen realized the customer was choking and knew she had to help. Without a second thought, Raley stepped in. She first asked the daughter and the manager to call 911 and then rushed to save her.
Raley quickly jumped out of the window to get to the mom as soon as possible. She then performed the Heimlich maneuver (used a help a choking person) which she learned a few years ago. Unfortunately, the maneuver wasn’t working effectively. However, the employee didn’t give up and called on a bystander to help. They continued to give her the emergency maneuver and were successful. “We worked together and were able to dislodge the food from her throat,” Raley remarked. The woman could breathe again and the ambulance and authorities had already arrived to take the next steps. Raley’s parents were extremely proud of their daughter for taking such a life-saving decision.
They noted that she was diagnosed with autism a few years ago and thought it would be a problem. Fortunately, the teen had been doing very well despite her diagnosis and even did a heroic act that day. The employee initially had her doubts but never looked at autism as a “setback,” per TODAY. “It's kind of like a pair of glasses: specially-made lenses to see the world in a unique way. If there was anything to gain from this experience, I want people to know that autism isn't this scary monster — it's just a more prominent way of showing that no two people are alike,” she said.
Raley was rewarded $100 for her quick thinking. Owner-operator Paul Ostergaard wrote in a statement that the outlet was “proud” of the employee. He titled her a “hero” and was glad to have her as a “highly-valued crew member.” “We are excited to see all of the well-deserved recognition she has received from the community and will continue to celebrate her courageous efforts of literally jumping out of the drive-thru window to provide aid to a customer in need,” he noted. Raley herself was glad to help someone in need, per KARE 11. “I feel like I’m actually capable of making a difference,” she said and many agreed.