9-Year-Old Girl Saved from Choking with LifeVac – #296
LifeVac is thrilled to share news of our 296th life saved
When a 9-year-old girl choked on a small toy her parents jumped into action to dislodge the obstruction. Here is the frightening story shared by the child’s dad on the choking incident.
“In February of 2022, my 9- year-old foster daughter, “A”, put a small toy in her mouth without anyone seeing her do it. My foster daughter is nonverbal, and severely delayed, so she was unable to let anyone know something was wrong. My wife noticed her lips looked purple, and checked for breathing. “A” was not able to breathe, so I ran to get the LifeVac we had purchased a few weeks prior, after seeing a YouTube video of a baby being saved. By that time, “A” was no longer alert, and her eyes had rolled back, and she was turning blue.
While my wife and I are both CPR and First Aid certified, when your child is in danger, panic sets in, and our training didn’t come immediately to mind. Fortunately, a family friend was visiting and he was able to start chest compressions while my wife called 911. I used the LifeVac on “A”, and it brought the toy up far enough into her mouth that I was able to use my hands to grab it from her throat. At that point, “A” regained consciousness, started breathing again, and her color returned.
We are very thankful to have had the LifeVac. The ambulance and fire department didn’t arrive until a few minutes after “A” started breathing again. They told my wife that “A” probably wouldn’t have made it if we had to wait on them. I firmly believe that every home, especially those with kids, should have at least one LifeVac.
“A” was taken in the ambulance to the emergency room to check for injuries from the choking and the chest compressions. Thankfully, she was given the all-clear and released within a couple of hours.
Thank you, LifeVac, for your remarkable device. Thank you for helping us save “A”‘s life. We are forever in your debt.”