Three Yr Old Boy Dies choking on Hot Dog

[TwingleMum]

I explained I posted on 2 DIS boards because I thought They were the most watched and I wanted to warn people. As for posting on another Discussion board I thought there would be a whole lot of different people that needed to be aware. If it came off as Disney bashing I didn't mean to make it sound like Disney killed the poor little boy. I wrote when my emotions were high & I was hurting for another mother. I don't know if this makes sense but I found since I had children when you hear something awful like this you put yourself in the other parents place and you can empathize to a much higher degree than when you didn't have kids. You think "My God that could have been me & x. " I should have waited & posted dispassionately but I was sick with worry that during heavy crowd times like Easter Disneys response isn't good. But lots of people posted wonderful reassuring experiences . I also wanted to make sense of a tragic accident. Disney being a huge corp non-person was an easy target . I'm not looking at $$ or lawsuits & no one here is either, people are just heartsick and looking for answers. I'm the first in line when Disney animated movies come out I have stock ( no Eisner but I like to invest in companies I believe in) I don't go to WDW as often as I'd like but I am usually the last person to critize Disney. o I am not in the habit of Disney bashing but I was upset and should have counted to ten.

 

[MELSMICE]

Twinglemum - I would think (or at least hope) that most of the posters that questioned your story & your motives can understand where you were coming from.

This was a very sad thing that happened. It was no one's fault - not Disney's & not the mother's. Unfortunately, accident's happen. This is one of those horrible accidents. There is no explanation for it.

I have to say that your post has probably reminded many people to either not serve their young children hot dogs or to cut them up (along with other foods) in very small pieces. I know that I told my sister today (whose son is only 5 months) not to give him hot dogs as he gets older.

If you have saved one other child by posting what you did, as far as I'm concerned, you did a good thing.

My prayers go out to the family of that little boy.

 

[tigger2on]

This is sad no matter where it happened.
One point I'd like to make is that when a child is choking a few seconds feel like a lifetime. I know.... I have a disabled child who sometimes forgets she's esting and swallows things whole... chokes on them then. Luckily we watch like a hawk and because it happens so often, she has a great gag relfex. But it doesn't stop me being extra careful.
Therefore due to panic and shock and fear .... the response time might have seemed much longer than it actually was. Even the parents might not know ... who looks at their watch when a child is choking!!!
My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the little boy

 

[bridgettesmom]

I have to agree with MELSMICE ,I also didn't know this and I called my sister today to tell her,since, she has a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old,this is the first time she has heard of this and I can tell you she really appreciated this information.I also plan to call all my friends with small children to warn them.

It is sad that a child had to die in order for this information to come out.I cannot even begin to imagine how that family feels.

AS MELSMICE said you are probably saving another child's life by posting this.

Thank you, Twinglemum!!

 

[rangebob]

I find it hard to believe that EMS crews couldn't make it to a scene of an accident at WDW. There are back doors everywhere in all the parks. At each of the parks there are EMS golf carts and they get around the crowds very easily and the people get out of their ways when they see it and they hear it coming. I've seen it in use several times at EPCOT and it does work. They will transport the person to the FA station and then get them to the hospital from there they don't have to bring an ambulance into the park to pick up a person. I find this story real hard to believe, I also live in Orlando and have never heard about this. I know a couple of people that work for Ready Creek EMS service I will check with them and see if any such thing happened on Easter.

 

[CaseyJr]

You would think that a 1st grade teacher would be more informed, therefore more cautious about what her little one put in its mouth.

JUST CURIOUS: I wonder if this family was on a "Disney vacation," when this sad event happened, yet could have actually been visiting another Orlando area attraction at the time? It would be soooooo easy for the Disney name to become associated with it, and soooooo easy to assume that it happened "at Disney" because they were on a "Disney trip."

To me, if I'm going to Orlando, I'm going to "DISNEY," period! I refer to it as a "Disney trip," even though we may not stay on-property and may do non-Disney things.

 

[DaveK]

I agree with several others who have posted replies about how well EMS crews and personnel respond at the parks. I had previously posted about the incident at Splash Mountain and an EMS crew was on the scene almost immediately.

Also, my DD broke her finger on the old Skyride in the MK the year before it was shut down and an EMS crew arrived within several minutes to help us. We were then taken by golfcart out a back door in tomorrowland (I think between the stage and where BL is now) and into a waiting Reedy Creek EMS vehicle for transport to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Accidents can happen anywhere, but given all of the planning and safety precautions that are in place, you are probably safer at the parks than most other places.

 

[DisneyKidds]

TwingleMum - thanks for posting this story. I thank you as I have a 4yo and a 2yo, with my DW due in September. My family is probably like the poor family that has endured this tragedy in many ways................and I feel for them. My prayers go out to them and I can't imagine the pain and turmoil they are going thru, and will continue to go thru forever. So sad. I appreciate the posts (yes - on multiple boards) as it is a very good warning and wakeup call to those with children. I finally stopped cutting hotdogs in half lenghtwise for our 4 yo DD, but I'll go back to doing that. Who knows, maybe it will save her life.

As for all the criticism, and woulda, shoulda, coulda's...............I won't get into that. It appears this tragic stroy is true and we should all pray for the family. However, I agree that it is most likely very unfair to lay any blame for this tragic accident at Disney's door. I agree with the poster who said..............

I also believe that the mother's perception is that the ambulance didn't arrive fast enough,and that is what she shared with her friends and colleagues. I cannot imagine being the parnet of a small child and waiting helplessly while my child suffers. every second must feel like hours.

This mother needs something (which unfortunately she won't find) to give her solace in this tragic time. As you have done, and she will likely do for a very long time, it is very easy to strike out at Disney since this is where the tragedy happened. It is only human to think that her son could have been saved if only someone got there quicker. As others have pointed out and I agree, there probably wasn't a "delayed response" and it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway. I will take this opportunity to say that we have had very good experiences with the Disney medical staff and first aid centers (although that experience has been limited and not involved any life-threatening issues), and I think Disney has a pretty good track record.

This story is just way too tragic, and it shouldn't mater if it were true or not - we could all use the wake up call. If we try to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are living such a tragedy, we should realize that it is human nature for them to blame someone. It apears the OP has gotten past that, and in time I hope the mother of this poor child does as well.

 

[jcemom]

TwingleMum,
Thank you for posting this story, and for reminding me of the dangers of hot dogs to small children. My DD is almost 7mos, my DS 10 and DS 9 seem so "grown up" now. I don't know for certain that I would have remembered how dangerous some foods are to babies/toddlers when the time came, as my boys have been eating everything for so long. Now, I know that when mealtimes come, I will remember this sad story and think twice about what I feed DD.

Emotions run high when tragedies occur. I understand why you posted as you did.

My heart and prayers go out to this family and all those close to them. They will need all the support they can get for a long time to come.

 

[giatocj]

I saw Puffy2's list of choking hazards on the first page of this thread and just want to add cubes of cheese...no matter how small they are cut up. Until they are about 3...perhaps a bit older...children just don't have enough back teeth to mash up food the way it needs to be, and things that we take for granted as adults are all potentially life threatening to a small child.

We travel several times a year with my 3 year old grandson...not only to Disney but other places as well...and I am totally neurotic about his food...not only is he the love of my life, but he is NOT my chlid...which would make it all that much worse should anything happen to him on my watch...I may be over protective but when it comes to little ones it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.

His first airplane trip was just about a year ago and I insisted he wear a child harness with a leash on it while in the airports and other crowded areas...a lot of people had rude comments, but I know him and he tends to wander...he LOVED the harness and thought it was a great joke...so no harm, no foul.

Just my 2 cents on this very sad thread.

Donna C.

 

[KarlainKY]

Thank you for posting this story. It makes me want to hug up to my 3 year old DD and never let go! I'm usually careful what I feed her, but I know I'm not always as vigilant as I should be. This sad story will remind me to be very watchful of my DD in the future. Thanks for sharing it, and my prayers are definitely with the grieving family.

 

[KickTheSky]

Just another choking warning to throw out here in regards to theme parks in general. Over the weekend, an 11 year old girl choked to death while riding Raging Bull, a hyper coaster, a Six Flags Great America in Gurnee IL. Initial autopsy findings show that she choked on a piece of gum or taffy. She likely inhaled the piece of gum while going over the main drop on the ride. She came back to the ride station unconcious, and was unable to be revived.

I know that this story has little to do with a 3 yr old choking on a hot dog, but maybe some people will now realize why it says not to take food or drinks on a ride.

 

[gonga]

Another chocking hazard for children is GRAPES! like hot dogs they have a skin and can easily get lodged into a child's thorat cutting off air supply. When giving your child grapes, as hot dogs and other food items of the like, please cut them in 1/4's so they will be small enough for your child.

 

[SuzyQue]

Mickey didn't feed the child the hot dog, but I bet my last dollar he did everything he could to save him.

Amen!!

No matter how, when or where it happened, may God bless this family and help get them through their time of mourning.

 

[Samirella]

I live in Orlando and am a CM and didn't hear about this either. Orlando news stations always cover things like this, especially if it happens to someone vacationing in Orlando, whether at Disney or not. If it did happen on WDW property, CMs most certainly would have heard about it. WDW CMs are trained in CPR unfortunately, I'm afraid that even with the quick reaction time of Reedy Creek paramedics, not much could have been done since the OP stated that nothing was working to dislodge the hot dog. As for RC not being able to get through, when something like this happens, managers and CMs come out of the woodwork to control the situation (ie controlling the crowds, moving people along) and aide the paramedics in getting to the scene.

 

[C.Ann]

My heart goes out to this poor family and I will definitely say a special prayer for all of them tonight.. I can't even begin to imagine how horrible this has been (and will continue to be) for them.. So sad..

Secondly, THANK YOU for posting this ALL over the place!! Just this past weekend my DD gave my 4 yr. old granddaughter a hot dog for lunch up to our place at the lake and it never even dawned on me that she could conceivably choke on it! Yes - she's old enough to chew her food (she'll be 5 in Sept.) BUT she OFTEN gets to LAUGHING while she's eating so I'll be sure to mention this horrible tragedy to my DD and her DH..

Thank you so much! You may have taken a bit of abuse on your threads about this, but I'll also bet you have helped to PREVENT this tragedy from happening to anyone else!!

Again - thank you SOOOOOOO much!!

 

[Trinity721]

I live in Chicago, and the nearest theme park here is Six Flags Great America. Over the weekend, a child 6 yrs old choked on a piece of gum while riding on a rollercoaster and died. This is not an urban legend, I just saw it on our news. The park has decided to post larger signs clearly saying no food, gum, or drinks on the rides. They already have these signs up, but i guess not everyone reads them.

This story and that posted by Twinglemum are sad. My prayers go out to the families of these children. I don't think it's fair to berrage Twinglemum with skepticism, none of us were there. She wasn't there either of course, but I don't have any reason to doubt her story isn't true. I know she is just trying to warn us parents out there on this choking hazard. It's not impossible to choke on a hot dog, or anything for that matter.

Twinglemum, thanks for your concern, and thank you for your post. I know that so many people will be even more wary of what they feed their children after reading this.

 

[eeyore0062]

Actually, I understand the child at Six Flags was 11 years old, and the child with the hotdog was visiting Universal at the time.

 

[Trinity721]

I stand corrected, thanks eeyore. I wasn't sure of the age, 6 does sound too young to ride the Raging Bull coaster. Where did you hear about the child in Orlando? Just wondering, I would like to read the article if there is one.

 

[eeyore0062]

Trinity, congrats on your new baby.

Actually, there is a reply on the community board
originally posted by LOVETHATMOUSE on the Community Board

Unfortunately this did happen. A friend of ours babysat for the family the day of the funeral. The toddler had a sibling in Kindergarden and the parents didn't think it appropriate for him to be at the funeral. Our friend was friends with the family for years and was asked to help out.

Also, the incident occured at Universal Studios, not Disney (according to our friend "the babysitter"). So so sad. I couldn't imagine ever being able to go back to the park again.

The accident with the gum was in the papers, I guess because it happened while the child was riding the coaster, but still no mention in the papers about the child who died at the Orlando theme park.