It was only a toy, or at least
that is what Todd’s parents thought when they first bought it for their one
year old, at the toy store. It appeared to be a fun toy for everyone including
Todd's parents and the small family dog.
Todd played with it for
several hours throughout the early evening.
A near tragedy unfolded the
next morning, when Todd awakened earlier than normal. He stood up, reached over
the side of his crib and picked up the toy that was on his dresser top. He
loved its bright colors and the way the parts moved. Soon, the toy was in his mouth.
Bit by bit, Todd succeeded in separating the various parts of the toy. He sat
in his crib playing with them, quietly. A few of the parts fell on the
floor.
Their dog was the first to
sense that something was wrong with Todd. In fact, he was the only one that
heard him choking.
“Woof, woof!”
Persistent barking and
scratching at their bedroom door awakened Todd’s parents. They knew something
was wrong and quickly ran into his bedroom.
Todd’s color was already dusky, as he
lay unconscious in his crib, surrounded by the various parts of his new toy.
“Call 911!” his mother ordered. Seeing the toy was in pieces,
she knew that Todd had probably swallowed one of its parts. It appeared likely
that it lodged in his airway and was blocking his breathing. She knew he would
suffocate, unless she was able to remove it.
Todd’s mother picked him up and
quickly began to do the Heimlich
maneuver for children. Fortunately, she managed to
dislodge the part of the toy immediately. With Todd’s airway cleared, his mother and
father started CPR on him. Moments later, he began to
cough, cry and breathe normally. Relieved and tearful, his mother held him
close.
A little while later, much to
their dismay, the parents wound up doing the Heimlich maneuver on their dog,
too. He had swallowed a part of the new toy, too.
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