Life Saved #2473

On July 6th, 2024 a 2-year-old boy choked on chicken and carrots resulting in a total obstruction leaving him unconscious. Protocol was followed but was unsuccessful. LifeVac removed the obstruction on its first use. The child’s mother describes the incident as follows:

“It all started with pot roast. Friday morning, I went to make dinner and found myself so annoyed when I opened the kitchen closet and was accosted by an onslaught of miscellaneous gadgets. I begrudgingly began sorting through everything and before I was satisfied and able to easily remove the Instant-pot lid for my roast, I had discarded numerous unnecessary things throughout the closet that people tend to accumulate when living in a home for 10+ years. The following morning, I also got annoyed when I went to toast my bagel and my husband’s trusty 15-year-old toaster unexpectedly stopped functioning. I tossed it out onto my deck and texted my husband that we would also have to buy a new toaster, in addition to the washing machine that broke the day prior. Fast forward to later that day and my mom came over to help me paint the master bedroom. She brought some chicken and carrots to feed the kids, while I prepped the room. The baby of the family, happily ate, got down off his stool, and hid under the dining room table. This wasn’t too abnormal for him, so I simply asked him if he was pooping while passing by on my cleaning journey. He responded normally and I went about my business while my mom continued to keep an eye on them. At one point, my mom shouted from the living room that he was “throwing up.” I wasn’t too shocked, as he had been sick and vomiting the week prior. When I got to the living room, it was apparent that something was very wrong and he hadn’t actually thrown up, but dry heaved and nothing came out. His eyes were staring off and he was becoming “distant.” I grabbed him and he quickly became completely limp in my arms. I laid him on the floor and his lips were blue, while the rest of him was pale. I quickly realized the severity of the situation, picked him back up, and began giving him back blows, unsuccessfully. I frantically handed him to my mom while I grabbed the LifeVac out of the kitchen closet. We only had to use it once before he slowly began to regain consciousness. I can’t even explain what it’s like to watch your child’s life just slowly fade before your eyes, but it’s absolutely terrifying, to say the least. As things began to settle down, I just kept racking my brain about what could have possibly happened. He had finished eating for at least 10 minutes and appeared completely normal and even responded to me when I asked him if he had to poop. I had so many questions. Did he have some chicken in his hand or stored in his little cheek that we didn’t realize? Then it dawned on me that I was asking all the wrong questions. What made me clean the kitchen closet the day prior? That impulsive decision to declutter the closet was the reason the LifeVac, which was previously shoved into the very bottom, back part of the closet, was now readily available. That toaster that I was so mad wouldn’t toast my bagel that morning and I indignantly tossed onto the back deck, was now no longer blocking its view. Maybe everything in the house wasn’t falling apart, maybe it was simply falling into place! And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, I can forever remind my husband that my overcooked and under-seasoned pot roast serves a far greater purpose. God is good, all the time. 🙏🏻”

Melissa H