Aussie mum's innocent snack turns deadly: 'We were terrified'
An Aussie mum is urging other parents to make sure they know basic first aid after her toddler nearly died from choking on an apple slice while watching TV – as it lodged in his lung.
Ashlie Johnson frantically tried to remove the bite-sized fruit piece from little Declan's throat when he started choking, but was horrified when several back slaps failed to shift it.
The mum rang for an ambulance "less than a minute" after the two-year-old started choking while partner Tyson Hodge, 34, continued to try and dislodge it.
The incident earlier this month saw the tiny tot rushed to hospital where x-rays showed the small piece of apple lodged in his lung.
Doctors were unable to remove it during a 90-minute procedure, so Declan, who was starting to turn blue, was sedated and ventilated.
He was then whisked by air ambulance to another hospital to be examined by specialists who eventually managed to scoop it out.
Now, the mum-of-four from Toowoomba, Queensland, is urging parents to know choking first aid and call for medical help if a child starts choking.
"We were very terrified and upset but we knew that he was in the right place [in hospital].
"There was always that fear in the back of our heads that we could have lost our baby - or that we still could," she said.
"We don't have our first aid certificate, we basically went off our instincts as parents that something wasn't right."
Ms Johnson served Declan what she considered to be a healthy snack of apple slices while watching TV. She was horrified minutes later when he let out what she described as a "weird scream".
"He was walking towards me with his arms up, wanting to be picked up, but he was red in the face and trying to cough.
"He eventually coughed, and was coughing quite hard and quite profusely," she recalled.
She scooped him up and started hitting him on the back in a desperate attempt to dislodge the fruit. When her attempts failed, her partner took over while she called for an ambulance.
Declan was rushed to Toowoomba Base Hospital at 6.15pm, where an x-ray showed a small piece of apple lodged in his lung.
After attempts to shift it failed, the tot was sedated and airlifted to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane to see a specialist.
"Before surgery they thought that the apple had moved in his lung, which caused his oxygen levels to drop.
"He was in distress and he was starting to go blue. They put him onto a ventilator so they could run his whole breathing for him.
"We flew to Brisbane, he pretty much went from the helicopter to the theatre," Ms Johnson said.
An hour after Declan was admitted, she got a phone call to say the surgery had been successful.
"I was so happy to hear he was ok because they weren't sure whether he would have had to go to ICU or be kept on a ventilator but he didn't need to, which was great."
The following day Declan was given the all-clear to go home.
Now, Ashlie wants to raise awareness about the importance of choking first aid so parents know what to do.
"What I have found [since] is that some parents may not recognise the signs of a choking episode.
"There needs to be more information regarding them. I'm still learning a lot, it's all a learning curve."
John Ambulance advice on what to do if a child is choking
If you think a child is choking, ask them "Are you choking?".
If they can breathe, speak, or cough then they might be able to clear their own throat. If they cannot breathe, cough, or make any noise, then they need your help straight away.
Cough it out
Encourage them to cough and remove any obvious obstruction from their mouth.
Child choking first aid - give five back blows
Slap it out. If coughing fails to work, you need to give five sharp back blows.
To do this, help them to lean forwards, supporting their upper body with one hand. With the heel of your other hand give them five sharp back blows between their shoulder blades.
After each back blow, check their mouth and pick out any obvious obstruction.
Do not sweep the mouth as this could push the object further down the throat.
Child choking first aid - give five abdominal thrusts
Squeeze it out. If back blows fail to clear the obstruction, give five abdominal thrusts.
To do this, stand behind them and put your arms around the child's waist. Place one hand in a clenched fist between their belly button and the bottom of their chest. With your other hand, grasp your fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards up to five times.
Check their mouth again, each time.
First aid - call 000 for emergency help
If the blockage has not cleared, call for emergency help straight away. Repeat five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until help arrives, rechecking their mouth each time.
If they become unresponsive at any point prepare to start child CPR.
- Kennedy News
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