A North Carolina waitress has just become an instant hero after springing into action to save the life of a 17-month-ld.

According to news station WFMY, Maria Romo was working her Friday night shift at the Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant in Lexington, NC when she noticed a young boy at a nearby table begin to choke on something.

She quickly picked him up and began to perform the heimlich maneuver on him. After a few seconds was able to pop the small chip piece free from the boys throat.

The entire event was capture by a nearby security camera:

A vital reason why everyone should know how to perform the heimlick maneuver, and why more and more restaurants are stocking other forms of anti-chocking devices.

Lexington residents are now calling Maria Romo a local hero.

Miles Bones, age 5 of Dallas, NC has been chosen by JDRF, the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of children and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C. this summer at JDRF 2017 Children’s Congress from July 24-26.

The Delegates will be lobbying their Members of Congress to remind them of the vital need to continue supporting T1D research that could reduce the burden of this disease and ultimately find a cure.

These children—ages 4 to 17, and representing all 50 states—will participate in a number of activities on the Hill, including a Congressional Committee hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the daily struggles of living with T1D and the need for continued funding for research projects such as the Special Diabetes Program (SDP). They will sharing their concern to the Senate about the new AHCA bill that would allow people with pre-existing conditions like T1D to be excluded from regular insurance plans and sent to “high-risk insurance pools” that charge premiums that are 150 to 200 percent higher than what is charged for typical coverage. These delegates will bring names and faces to the fight for healthcare reform and the need for continued support of research and access.

Joining the U.S. Delegates will be six international Delegates traveling from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Together, the Delegates will convey a clear message to the Federal Government that T1D is a global problem that requires a global effort.

“These children and their parents face the burden of type one diabetes every day, and by sharing their stories, they become the most powerful advocates we have in fighting type one diabetes. They represent millions of other families like mine who need the support of the government to help us end this disease,” says Derek Rapp, JDRF President and CEO. “Children’s Congress gives the T1D community a unified voice in front of Congress and a way to urge our government leaders to continue supporting research.”

Serving as Chair for JDRF 2017 Children’s Congress will be Angie Platt of Encino, Calif., whose 13-year old son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with T1D at age 6. Angie is a member of JDRF’s International Board of Directors and previously chaired the 2013 Children’s Congress. As Chair of the event, she will help engage, support and energize all these Delegates and their families during the advocacy efforts up on Capitol Hill.

“I am really excited to meet lots of new friends who have type 1 diabetes like I do. I want to tell people what it’s like to live with diabetes so they can help find new ways to take care of me and maybe even find a cure!” said Miles, age 5.

When Miles grows up, he wants to be a pharmacist or a dog walker.

Here are the highlights from the JDRF 2015 Children’s Congress;

CC 2015 Highlights from JDRF on Vimeo.

Construction is almost finished on a $46 million water park on North Carolina’s Outer Banks – a park that will become one of the country’s largest.

Theme park experts are saying that it will also be one of the world’s most innovatively designed.

According to their press release, “H20BX will deliver more than 30 waterslides and attractions, combining several first-to-market and enhanced slides and experiences. Waterslides will offer various degrees of thrills, lengths, drops, turns and intensity. Guests will be able to ride the waves on a Flowrider^®, float along an adventure river and stand under an exhilarating 1,000-gallon bucket dump. And that’s where the traditional, preferred attractions end and an advanced waterpark blueprint begins.”

The new water park will include:

• FlowRider^®, Surfing Simulator
• Twin Tides dual entry Wave Pool
• 30,000 square foot Action Wave Pool
• Adventure Lagoon featuring balance, climb and crawl across floats and structures
• Two high-speed Colorado Drop tube rides over 500 feet long and 71 feet long
• 90-foot tall Aqua Drop launch capsule free fall slide
• 90-foot tall Flat Line Loop body slides with launch capsule translucent fiberglass
• 50-foot drop Boomerango inner tube ride wall stall and Aqua Lucent lighting
• SuperBowl thrill ride with Aqua Lucent lighting and open bowl with a distinctive sawtooth edge
• 500-foot long Constrictor slide featuring high-speed tight turns
• 500-foot long Boomerango family raft ride with drops, weightless wall and zero gravity hump
• 540-foot long family raft ride over 540 feet long with open and enclosed sections and Aqua Lucent lighting
• Five Kid’s body and tube slides offering turns and loops
• Pirate themed aqua play structure with more than 70 interactive features and seven slides including the Champagne Bowl body slide

It will be located on 80 acres of land, three miles north of the Currituck Bridge, which many consider to be the northern gateway to the Outer Banks. 

The park now expects to create over 200 full-time and seasonal jobs, according to developers.

H2OBX Waterpark is now expected to open later this summer.