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Amelia Loverme said she didn't think about what to do and just acted when she saw her brother Charlie choking on a piece of cheese in the lunchroom of Leicester Middle School earlier this month.
The 12-year-old wrapped her arms around Charlie, and with a few quick, sharp blows, she dislodged the immobile mozzarella. Within seconds, the story changed from horror to hero.
"It was just instinct," Amelia Loverme told CBS News. "I didn't really know what to do. I just felt like I had to help him."
Charlie was terrified when he realized he couldn't breathe. He feared it was the end.
"I'm going to die," Charlie Loverme recalled thinking to CBS. "It's just scary, and you just don't know what's going to happen next."
Leicester schools released the surveillance video to the media, and it quickly traveled the globe. Outlets as far away as India picked up the story of the heroic moment.
Versions of the video have millions of views on social media, making the Leicester twins bonafide internet celebrities.
In the US, the Lovermes appeared on Good Morning America and have given several interviews.
The twin's parents — Jason and Ruth Loverme — are proud of their daughter, and they also said they hope it spurs other parents to talk to their children about what to do in situations like this.
"I would say talk to the kids about life-saving stuff like this," Jason Loverme told GMA. "Whether you think it registers or not, they may tune it out but clearly something registered, and she recalled it when she needed it."
The Mayo Clinic has step-by-step instructions on how to save a choking person's life using different techniques.
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