Having a baby can be fun and exciting, but it can also be pretty terrifying. Suddenly, you have to start worrying about childproofing everything and keeping your baby safe from danger.
One of the scariest things are the numerous choking hazards surrounding your little one. Babies love to put things in their mouths, which means everything can become harmful.
Most parents knows how dangerous grapes are: they're just the right size for kids to choke on them, and they're super slippery.
Cutting grapes into slices is a way to avoid having kids choke on them, but sometimes kids still manage to sneak a full grape. Mom Sophie Jackson had to deal with that in 2015 when her young son Jake snuck a whole grape from his grandpa.
Jake immediately started choking. Sophie and her family freaked out, then performed the Heimlich maneuver before calling 911. Luckily, they were able to get the grape out, but now Sophie is warning other parents about her experience.
Thumbnail Photo: Facebook / Sophie Jackson
Sophie shared her story on Facebook, where it got a lot of attention.
To date, the post has gotten over 191,000 reactions and over 530,000 shares.
Sophie wrote:
Today was by far the worst day of my life!
Ever since reading about that little boy who died from choking on grapes I've been cutting them.
Tonight Jake sat down on the sofa near my dad, he got a couple of grapes and put them in his mouth, my dad called me straight away and before I got the 2.5 meters to Jake he was already choking.
I immediately put him over my knee and hit his back several times.
Its didn’t work I put my fingers down his throat, I couldn’t feel the grapes. Jake wasn’t able to breathe. I knew I needed to ring an ambulance.
Mark got Jake and started hitting Jakes back while he was still unable to breath while I rang an ambulance.
Ellie was crying saying “he’s going to die mum, I don’t know what to do” Jake was blue and purple and stopped struggling. He wet himself then My mum forced her fingers down jakes throat and managed to pop a grape while Mark was still hitting jakes back.
My mums finger nail popping the grape made the smallest amount for room in Jakes airways which enabled him to finally have the strength to retch hard and bring out the grape followed by blood and mucous. Jake could finally breath.
We could beat the ambulance to hospital so we got Jake in the car and got him to hospital where his ears and cheeks were still purple.
And I have been told by the doctors and nurses he is extremely lucky to be alive and as well as he is. Jake is home and well with just trauma to his throat.
I am posting this to once again spread the dangers in the food most children love.
Please cut your child's grapes. Please tell everyone to cut your child's grapes. Nothing is worth the risk of losing them.
****UPDATE **** I am really overwhelmed by everyone’s support. I was not expecting such a positive response from everyone. We knew first aid and it was still a huge struggle to get the grape out.
In fact we found two. Jake was not able to breathe at all and couldn't make a sound. The grapes were whole and the skin wasnt broken. We are unsure when the first grape came out.
We couldn't see any of the grapes at all until the very end when Jakes dad compressed Jakes stomach/chest which enabled my mum to finally see the grape and pinch it with her nails which without a doubt saved Jakes life.
I really hope this encourages people to look into children’s first aid and always cut grapes for children.
Jake is 2 years and 9 months and if he ever decides to eat grapes I will always cut them as shown. Jake is doing so fantastically well!!! Thank you all for your wonderful support.
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