Life Saved №5588

What was supposed to be an enjoyable Mother’s Day lunch turned into every family’s nightmare when a South West girl started choking on her food.

11-year-old Harper choked on a roast potato while eating roast dinner. Her mother, Charlotte, performed first aid protocol but could not dislodge the obstruction. LifeVac was then applied by Charlotte while Harper was in a sitting position. LifeVac successfully dislodged the obstruction on the second application, helping save Harper’s life.

“My daughter choked today and your LifeVac Kit saved her life. Good device would highly recommend. I don’t often make a roast dinner, but did for Mother’s Day and as we began eating Harper started choking on a roast potato. I rushed into the kitchen where I have had the LifeVac for the last two years. I put the children’s sized mask on her and used the device which sucked the food out, luckily she didn’t pass out from choking. I dread to think what could have happened if I didn’t have it. I bought a LifeVac two years ago, because I had read about children and others choking, so I wanted one as a precaution, but I didn’t ever think I’d need to use it. I am so thankful I had it at home” – Charlotte

“Choking is second leading cause of accidental death in adults over the age of 65, and children are a very high-risk choking demographic. With first aid choking protocol being 70% effective and even less for people with a physical disability who cannot receive abdominal thrusts, we work hard to raise awareness of choking prevention and save lives when all else fails. LifeVac is used when first aid fails or cannot be performed. We are extremely proud of the lives we help save, over 5,653 since 2014 and the incredible families that are still whole due to quick thinking actions such as Charlotte saving her daughter Harper. Manufacturing LifeVac in the South West and keeping everything local is also a big part of who we are. Our goal is to make the South West the safest area in the UK for when first aid fails or cannot be performed in a choking emergency. We have launched a Southwest Life-Saving Initiative, where we are donating LifeVac Kits to schools and businesses every month. We have already donated kits to Bull & Bear, The Milky Way, Barnstaple RFC, Falcons Gymnastics and The Big Sheep.” – Marie Boland, Operations Director, LifeVac Europe.