Queensland Mom Warns Parents After Common Snack Almost Killed Her Toddler Son

Ashlie Johnson choking Choking hazard Basic first aid

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Oct 26, 11:52 am

Photo: (Photo : DOMINICK REUTER/AFP via Getty Images)

Ashlie Johnson calls on other parents to learn basic first aid for the sake of their children after her toddler son almost died after choking on a common kids' snack. When the Queensland mom decided to give her son Declan a few apple slices for his healthy snack, she never imagined that it could nearly cost the young boy his life.

The mom of four said that her two-year-old child was happily watching television and eating the bite-sized fruit slices when the horror suddenly unfolded, the New York Post reported.

Her little kid let out a weird scream just minutes later and appeared to be trying to cough as the boy's face went bright red. Neither Ashlie nor Tyson, her partner, had a first aid certificate. The couple used their instincts to help their baby boy bring up the stuck piece of apple.

Toddler rushed to hospital after a piece of apple got stuck in his lung

But when a few hard thumps to the child's back failed to help clear Declan's airway, they decided to call paramedics. An ambulance rushed to their residence in Toowoomba, Queensland, to help save Declan.

In an interview, Ashlie recalled the scary experience, saying Declan was walking towards her with his arms up. She said that her son wanted to be picked up by her. She knew something was wrong as her son was red in the face and was trying to cough. She added that Declan eventually coughed, and he was coughing quite hard and quite profusely.

The tot was rushed to Toowoomba Base Hospital, where an X-ray showed a small piece of the apple she gave him was lodged inside his lung. Given the severity of the situation, doctors decided to fly the sedated toddler to Queensland Children's Hospital. He was to see a specialist there after attempts by doctors to shift the piece of apple in his lung failed.

He had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the piece of apple that was hampering his breathing. The mom explained that before surgery, the doctors thought the apple had moved in her child's lung, which caused his oxygen levels to drop.

Ashlie wants to raise awareness about importance of understanding basic first aid

She said that Declan appeared to be in distress, with the child starting to go blue. Doctors decided to put young Declan on a ventilator with the kid's life hanging in the balance. That way, they could run Declan's whole breathing for him. She said they flew to Brisbane for treatment, and he went from the helicopter to the theater.

One hour after being admitted to the hospital, the parents were relieved to hear that their son's surgery had been successful. The toddler was given the green light the next day to go home. Ashlie said she was happy to hear that her kid was okay.

They thought at first that he would have had to go to ICU after the surgery or be kept on a ventilator, but Declan did not need to, which was great for the family. Ashlie's goal right now is to raise awareness about basic first aid and its importance following her son's health scare, particularly how to deal with kids having a sudden choking episode.