Parents be careful

[davparlr]

Today, a gloomy, rainy Southern California winter day, they buried a 13 year old boy. They lowered him, alone, into a cold, damp grave, mother unable to comfort him, father unable to warm him. At his funeral, memorabilia of his life were present, a football, a Legos tank, boxing gloves, video games. He went too soon, he had only tasted life. A dear friend lost a nephew.

The young boy was at a boys and girls club participating in a charity function for Haiti. Somehow, there was a whipped cream covered hot dog, somehow, he choked, somehow, …. he died.

Parents, be careful with food. Do not let your children play eating games (it is not clear if an eating game was involved here but the advice is good), especially with hot dogs. The world can change in an instant.

They were Christians, they have hope.

 

[RabidAlien]

Crap. Hate it when stuff like this happens.

 

[evangilder]

It was a horrible thing. From what I remember hearing, it was a hot dog eating contest for charity. I don't know, any kind of competitive eating just seems so crazy.

And all parents should know the proper way to clear the airway of a child. I have saved my daughter's life twice when she was clearly not breathing. Scary, yes. But the most hopeful feeling for me was when I got the grape dislodged and I could feel her take a breath.

If you are a parent of a small child and don't know how to clear their airway when the are choking, learn it now. The life you save may be your own child.

 

[davparlr]

It was a horrible thing. From what I remember hearing, it was a hot dog eating contest for charity. I don't know, any kind of competitive eating just seems so crazy.

And all parents should know the proper way to clear the airway of a child. I have saved my daughter's life twice when she was clearly not breathing. Scary, yes. But the most hopeful feeling for me was when I got the grape dislodged and I could feel her take a breath.

If you are a parent of a small child and don't know how to clear their airway when the are choking, learn it now. The life you save may be your own child.

I have heard that grapes and hot dogs are the major offender.

 

[Wayne Little]

...could happen to any one of us.....not just kids....

 

[Lucky13]

Poor wee lad, poor parents, family and friends!

 

[evangilder]

I have heard that grapes and hot dogs are the major offender.

They are, but they can choke on anything. Also watch young ones with beads. Stringing beads is a fun activity for little ones, but my daughter put one up her nose. I discovered it a few days later and extracting it was not easy. I thought my poor mother-in-law was going to pass out. I never dreamed my military medic training would be used to extract a bead from my daughter's nose!

Small toys and food like grapes and hot dogs are ones that you really have to watch. My wife was so scared by the grape choking incident that she cut grapes in quarters for both kids for the longest time after. Of course, I hadn't thought of teaching her how to stop the choking. If I hadn't been home, that would have been a tragedy. She knows now.

 

[B-17engineer]

Oh oh! Watch bacon too! I don't eat bacon anymore since I choked nearly to death on it.


Luckily my dad, the police officer, was home and use the heimlich maneuver on me.

 

[beaupower32]

I just got re-certified in Adult and Infant CPR. (mandatory for military), but its good to have none the less.

I nearly choked to death on a cherry tomato when I was young, so watch that too.

 

[seesul]

Never realized that guys!
My daughter (2 yo) likes grapes and cherry tomatoes. But we always cut them...

 

[mudpuppy]

What a tragic story! If it was a large gathering of folks you would think there would have been somebody there with a background in EMS or nursing. I'm thinking there may have been some freak circumstances here; a couple of "worst case" events that added up to this young boys untimely death.
CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
American Red Cross

In case folks want to look at how to get certified in CPR. Or just call your local fire department (non-emergency # of course) and they may be able to direct you. And thanks to those of you that do have this training.
Derek

 

[Colin1]

It does seem bizarre
encouraging kids to do what kids tend to do anyway (get things stuck in their throat)
Sending your kid to a party one day and burying him the next; I can't begin to imagine how those parents must be feeling right now. Then there's the fall-out to the other kids at the party, the ones in his class at school and maybe even the guy who sat next to him. A painful reminder of just how fragile life is, a life snuffed out before its even lived.

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

That's terrible. I feel sorry for the parents, relatives, and friends of the boy. And out of all places, a charity concert?
Also watch out for sausage. I also almost choked on one at an Olive Garden in Phillie. I guess I was too busy devouring all of the food that I forgot to chew.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Heartbreaking.

I can remember being over-protective when my three were young; cutting grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc in pieces.

You can never be too careful, but unfortunately, stuff happens.

TO

 

[Thorlifter]

Very sad. Another big one to watch out for is peanut butter. Damn near impossible to clear if it gets stuck.

 

[diddyriddick]

What can one say that would mean anything here? My heart aches for the family. Parents should not have to bury their children.

 

[beaupower32]

I never thought about penut butter, As i give my little 2 yo a penut butter sandwich every now and then.

I highly recommend anyone who wans CPR to go take the course, especially if you have kids. There are 2 classes, one for adults, one for infiants. Take them if you can. Its better to know how to do CPR and not need it, than to need to perform CPR, and not know how to.

 

[Maestro]

An other thing to watch out for is candies. I choked on one when I was about 12. My father saved my ass on that day.

Since that day, I no longer eat while laying on the couch. (What can I say ? I was a stupid little kid.)

Also watch out for pizza cheese and bread... I learned in my CPR formation that those are the worst things someone could choke on... As when your throat naturally constrict (to try to make it pass in "the right tube"), that thing is gonna compact and become as hard as concrete, making it almost impossible to remove even with medical instruments.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I was told by my practice wife that the problem with hot dogs is they are the same diameter as a child's esophagus so I always slice them down the middle. Sounds like I need to do the same with grapes now.

Man, being a kid was so much easier then being a parent.

 

[Maestro]

Man, being a kid was so much easier then being a parent.

It must be why parents always tell you : "You're living the best part of your life..."