The eight-year-old second grader Jaxon Dempsey from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, saved his 20-month old sister Leila's life from choking, using a life skill that he learned from Nickelodeon.
Jaxon and his sister Leila, a 20-month old baby, were riding in a car with their dad, Matt, when the second-grader noticed that his little sister was choking on a chicken nugget. He told his dad to pull over and then started to pat her back, leaning her body forward and using his hand's heel to slap between the shoulder blades until the food was dislodged.
The dangers of choking
According to Today's Parent, choking is often silent and hard to detect, contrary to what happens in movies. Experts also said that parents should avoid giving food to little ones during car rides.
Babies should always be supervised while eating. Snacking in the car should be avoided until their seat is forward-facing and they are about two years old, Cara Rosenbloom, a registered dietitian and co-author of Food to Grow On.
She added that eating in the car is never the best idea as any food can be a choking hazard if the child puts too much in his mouth.
If the parents need to give the babies snacks while in the car, Rosenbloom suggests giving fruits sliced into thin strips, pea-size pieces, or cheese sliced cubes.
She also advised parents not to give small, hard foods such as grapes, large blueberries, cherry tomatoes, carrots, popcorn, peanuts, chips, hotdogs, whole fruit, and pits.
Lessons from Nickelodeon
The second-grader said that he noticed that her sister's face was bright purple and red. He also noted that she was not breathing. The quick-acting Jaxon sprung into his life-saving action before his father could open the car door.
Jaxon told WYOU that he felt scared because he thought his sister might die. When he asked his dad to pull over, he remembered an episode of Nickelodeon'sThe Substitute, a hidden-camera prank show where celebrities dress up and go undercover in classrooms. He remembered John Cena when he taught kids how to save someone from choking.
Jaxon said in his heart that he feels like a hero. He thanks John Cena for being on that show and teaching him to save someone's life. He also recommends that older siblings should know basic first aid for emergencies like choking and should watch the first episode of the Substitute on Nick.
Hero Brother
The father said Jaxxon amazes them every day for what he says and does, WNEP writes. He knows that Jaxon has always been a good big brother, but he admits he never expected Jaxon to know what to do in emergencies such as choking. He said that most kids in his situation would panic and start yelling.
His dad noted that it was good that his son noticed her sister because if he was by himself and Jaxon was not with him, he would not see that his daughter was choking. She was not coughing, and she was not panicking. His baby just had no air going through and was not breathing.
His dad said that he thanks God that he was with Jaxon because he is not sure if Leila would still be alive without him.
