WHEN Lakynn Dockers arrived at Disneyland for a family day out, she'd expected laughter, thrills and hours of fun.
Instead, she wound up in hospital where her little boy was fighting for life.
The mum, her husband Eastin, and their two children -daughter Hadlee, 29 months, and 15-month-old son Briar – visited the theme park in December 2021.
They spent the morning exploring the grounds and tucking into a bucket of popcorn.
While in the queue for a ride, Lakynn, 27, took the bucket away from her son.
"He sucked in to cry and inhaled a piece which went down his throat," she told Tiny Hearts Education.
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"He cleared it quickly. He cried and coughed for a while but we felt it was behavioural."
Brushing it off as him being dramatic, they continued to wait for the rollercoaster.
But 15 minutes later, Briar was still "upset" and he began "wheezing" with an "irregular breathing pattern".
"I started running for the first aid team knowing in my gut something was wrong," Lakynn said.
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"First aiders checked him over and said his oxygen levels looked good, but recognised the wheeze and called 911."
Paramedics arrived and agreed that a piece of popcorn was likely stuck in his throat, scratching and causing discomfort.
Briar's breathing eventually improved and the family continued with their day.
He became "clingy" and "fussed in his sleep" – then his breathing became laboured once again.
A quick call to her GP told her to call for an ambulance immediately, sending Lakynn straight in panic mode.
"I got frantic," she said. "Briar was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.
"He had popcorn remnants stuck in both his lungs, obstructing his airway.
"It wasn't until the surgeon came in to talk with us that we understood how serious it was.
"The surgeon made it clear that it was very likely Briar would not make it through his surgery due to his low oxygen levels and anticipating that the popcorn had expanded.
"All we could do was cling to our baby and beg the doctors to bring him back out safely to us.
"It was the worst hour and a half of our lives as we sat there waiting and praying for a miracle."
Thankfully, Briar made a full recovery – but doctors warned many other kids are brain dead before they get to A&E.
Lakynn, from Kansas, US, said: "Don't give nuts, popcorn, grapes or raisins to kids under five.
"We are so happy and thankful to be snuggling him, but we want to share Briar's story so that my poor choice can save your babies from a horrific experience like this."
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Speaking to 7Life, she added: "It was truly the scariest and most horrific days of our lives.
"We hope that Briar’s story can help prevent this from happening to other babies around the world."
What to do if your child chokes
FIRST aiders at St John Ambulance give the following advice based on the child’s age.
Baby
- Slap it out:
- Lay the baby face down along your thigh and support their head
- Give five back blows between their shoulder blades
- Turn them over and check their mouth each time
2. Squeeze it out:
- Turn the baby over, face upwards, supported along your thigh
- Put two fingers in the centre of their chest just below the nipple line; push downwards to give up to five sharp chest thrusts
- Check the mouth each time
3. If the item does not dislodge, call 999 or 112 for emergency help
- Take the baby with you to call
- Repeat the steps 1 and 2 until help arrives
- Start CPR if the baby becomes unresponsive (unconscious)
Child
1. Cough it out
- Encourage the casualty to keep coughing, if they can
2. Slap it out
- Lean them forwards, supporting them with one hand
- Give five sharp back blows between the shoulder blades
- Check their mouth each time but do not put your fingers in their mouth
3. Squeeze it out
- Stand behind them with your arms around their waist, with one clenched fist between their belly button and the bottom of their chest
- Grasp the fist in the other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards, giving up to five abdominal thrusts
- Check their mouth each time
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