Two Babies, Two Choking Emergencies: A Story of Survival and Loss
Both experienced life-threatening incidents involving choking. Tragically, Luke did not survive, while Penny did.
This story explores the reasons behind their different fates—and how you can be better prepared for such an emergency.
These are the lungs of a 4 year old child called Luke.
Cause of death... a grape.
The parents decided to frame his lungs (with the peanut), to show other parents what happens if you are unprepared in a choking emergency.
Because when a baby, child or adult is choking, dialing 911 is too late.
In early 2020, Luke, a 4 year old kid, was enjoying grapes on his porch when a sudden misstep turned dangerous. He inhaled while a grape was in his throat, lodging it in his windpipe. He could only draw in a small amount of air—enough to breathe but not enough to speak or cry.
His parents, panicked but determined, ran to the phone and dialed 911. They waited over 17 minutes for paramedics to arrive, an unusually long time even during the height of the pandemic.
By the time help arrived, Luke had collapsed on the porch, his airway completely obstructed. Despite the paramedics’ attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Choking is a deceptively swift and silent killer. Without immediate intervention, the lack of oxygen to the brain can lead to irreversible damage within four to six minutes. The critical nature of such emergencies highlights a harsh reality: emergency response times, even under normal circumstances, often cannot match the urgency of a choking incident.
During the height of the pandemic, response times were stretched even further due to overwhelming demand on emergency services, making tragedies like Luke's more common. Those response times have not recovered.
For Luke's family and friends, his death was a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of being prepared.
This is Penny, in March 2024, she suddenly started choking on a piece of apple.
In the last 8 seconds, while Penny's face was turning grey, her mother knew that she had to make a split second decision,
As someone with medical experience she knew that there was no way 911 could help her in time.
But Jasmine was prepared.
Jasmine had the "AntiChoke" in her medical cabinet.
The AntiChoke is a small portable medical device that can instantly save someone from choking.