Amira Fortin, 7, knew exactly what to do when her mother started to choke last Friday, but not because of something she learned in school. Amira thought back to a scene from the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire to channel the Heimlich maneuver one character performed on another.

It all started when Amira heard noises of distress coming from the kitchen where her mother, Jennifer Fortin, was preparing dinner. The young girl got up from the couch to investigate the noise only to find her mother choking on a piece of sausage.

After remembering the comedic performance, in which Robin Williams, dressed as an old lady, performed an animated Heimlich maneuver on Pierce Brosnan, Amira jumped into action. She quickly grabbed her mother and began applying pressure to her abdomen with pumps to her stomach, just like in Mrs. Doubtfire, until the sausage was dislodged.

"I picked her up three times," Amira told KABC. "She spit the sausage out."

Jennifer is thankful her daughter was by her side and believes that without Amira, her frightening experience could have turned deadly. The trivial scene from a 20-year-old movie and the quick thinking of her daughter saved Jennifer Fortin’s life.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mrs. Doubtfire or the Heimlich maneuver, the first-aid procedure was coined by chest surgeon Dr. Henry Heimlich. According to the Heimlich Institute, the procedure has saved over 50,000 lives since it was introduced in 1974.

To perform the Heimlich maneuver, approach the choking victim from behind and wrap your arms around their waist area. Make a fist, with your thumb on the side of the fist, and place it between the ribcage and navel. Clench your fist with the opposite hand, and begin rapid upward thrusts in the upper abdomen, being careful not to squeeze the ribcage. Continue until the obstruction in the victim’s throat is dislodged.