A family is in mourning after losing their 2-year-old son during a routine trip to the grocery store. While his mother was looking at some cheese, the toddler boy stuffed a handful of food from the cart into his mouth. Moments later, he was dead, and now, his mother is begging others to keep one common food far from their children’s mouths.
Emma Carver took her 2-year-old son Ayyan Umar to the grocery store, where he was sitting in the shopping cart while she was looking at cheese. Before long, she heard the sound of choking and turned around to see her son gasping for air. Ayyan had grabbed a handful of grapes out of the shopping cart and stuffed them into his mouth when his mother wasn’t looking.
to dislodge the grapes which had become stuck in his throat. Meanwhile, another shopper dialed 911. EMS arrived within 5 to 7 minutes, but it was already too late to save little Ayyan’s life. First responders removed one grape from his throat on the scene, and another was removed once the child’s body was transported to the hospital.
Emma says they’ve now signed up to take a first aid class and they encourage others to do the same.
You can contact the American Red Cross for information, or check with your local fire department to see if they offer a free class. [Source: WXYZ]
“I was feeling like maybe it was a bad dream,” said a heartbroken Mr. Umar. “I see him everywhere.” The parents are now urging others to take CPR classes, as they are planning to do. Their tragedy brings up another important issue, which many are not familiar with, as well.
Little Ayyan’s death could have been prevented if the grapes he was eating were sliced lengthwise, which is recommended for children under the age of 4-years-old. Ayyan was just two.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 4 should stay far away from whole grapes. Until age 4, grapes should be sliced lengthwise before being given to young children.
While one family is grieving the death of their little boy who was taken too soon, their story can help to prevent this from happening to others. A small piece of knowledge, such as the correct way to slice grapes for children under the age of four, can prevent a massive tragedy. There are even kitchen aids to make the task easier, such as Pampered Chef’s Close & Cut, found here, allowing parents to easily slice many grapes at once.
Please share this information with as many parents as possible. Many parents are unaware of the importance of keeping unsliced grapes away from small children. The fruit is a very common food which can be found in nearly every American home, although most have no idea of the dangers of allowing toddlers access to it. Knowledge is power; in this case, you could give someone the power to save a life by sharing.
