Little Boy Saved with LifeVac – #341

LifeVac is delighted to share news of our 341^st life saved.

On April 22^nd a 22-month-old little boy from Indiana choked on a cheese cube.  The food caused a total obstruction and the Heimlich maneuver was not working.  The child was turning blue and almost unconscious. Thankfully the family was gifted a LifeVac by the child’s aunt.  On the second attempt, the obstruction was dislodged saving the child’s life.

“If it wasn’t for LifeVac I’m not sure what would’ve happened to my son.
We were getting ready for a small trip to the Great Wolf Lodge that Friday evening.  I went to my bedroom to rest a bit as I worked a 12-hour shift (I’m an ER tech) the night prior and needed some sleep. His dad was watching him and his baby brother. He gave Matthew some cheese cubes which he’s always done so well with. My husband was making a baby bottle with his back turned away from Matthew and heard him choking. He thought it was just him coughing but then he heard the gagging.
He ran to grab me from the room and I ran out to the hallway and saw all the signs of him choking. I am CPR and BLS certified. But when it’s your own child you panic and everything goes out the window. I started the Heimlich and that dimly dislodged one cube and we realized he was still choking on another cube. So I then went to the Heimlich and in between the proper procedure for a child to dislodge (face down, hold him by the chest, feet elevated above head, and smacking mid-back).  We couldn’t get it out and while my husband was on the phone with 911 we remembered my sister-in-law bought us a life vac for Christmas.

My husband ran to grab it while I laid my son on his back and by that time he was turning blue and limp.
It was pretty easy to know which part was for a child and which was for an adult but my husband didn’t understand when I asked him for the pediatric mask as he isn’t in the medical field like I am. After two attempts with the LifeVac, it was out!  EMS said Thank God we had it and used it when we did.

We are forever grateful and thankful we had a life vac that night. Thank you to the entire team who works to save lives every day at LifeVac!”