"This thing just possibly saved my 8-month-old's life," was the first sentence that Dylan D. wrote to Dechoker. His toddler daughter's life was recently saved from choking on a sticker that she found lying on the ground. As parents know, toddlers like to put many household items in their mouths, even when supervised. A choking emergency can happen in a matter of seconds. Dylan stressed the importance of having the Dechoker nearby:

"Parents...get one, or two. It's worth it! For months I kept seeing ads about your product. At first, I didn't want to spend $50 on something I didn't know if I would ever need. But after seeing the ad enough times, I figured that it would be better to have one and not need it than need one not have it. So, I purchased it about six months ago. 

Fast forward to a few days ago, and my three-year-old left out a bunch of paper/stickers on the floor. My 8-month-old got ahold of one and began choking.

 She couldn't breathe at all. We tried getting it out in every way we could, but it wouldn't come out. We were freaking out until I remembered that in the pantry, I had the Dechoker. I rushed in, grabbed it, and unwrapped it from its package. At this time, our daughter was turning purple. The device was really large on her because I had purchased the kids' size, but I managed to get it in. Two applications later, the sticker popped out. We're so insanely grateful that this device may have just saved her life."

Why Children are at Higher Risk of Choking than Adults

On average, a child will die every 5 days in the United States from choking on food. Children can choke on anything from hot dogs to toys. So why are children at a much higher risk than adults for choking?

First, children’s airways are a lot smaller than adults. A sticker may not be something an adult could choke on but could pose a threat to a small child. Further, objects that are small can create a plug in the child’s airway that is difficult to remove.

Second, children can be easily distracted and forget to chew their food completely before swallowing. Dechoker recommends sitting at a table during meal and snack times so children can focus more on eating instead or playing. Suggesting to your children to chew slowly and take smaller bites can help re-enforce good eating habits.

How to Protect Your Child from Choking

It is important to familiarize you and your family with choking protocol. Back slaps and abdominal thrust (also known as the Heimlich maneuver) should be used in conjunction with the Dechoker.

Dechoker recommends taking the device out of the package and examining it before any emergency medical situation to familiarize yourself with how to use the product. Individuals have reported using the Dechoker (without any prior knowledge) successfully, however it is not recommended.