Sometimes it's incredible how quickly things happen. One moment your young child is playing gleefully, and the next, they are screaming. Even more worrisome, the neighboring room becomes suddenly silent. It seems you can't take your eyes of younger family members for even a second.

Illustrator Sakuko Kamiyama (@sakukokkoo) covered such an experience in a recent post. Her young child was enjoying some boiled carrot wedges when there was a sudden emergency.

Reproduced with permission from Sakuko Kamiyama (@sakukokkoo)

Reproduced with permission from Sakuko Kamiyama (@sakukokkoo)

Reproduced with permission from Sakuko Kamiyama (@sakukokkoo)

Scary indeed. It's shocking to see a peaceful meal become a full-blown emergency. Fortunately, Sakuko was prepared.

The author had a message for readers:

When my son choked on a carrot "Although I panicked, I was able to help my son because I'd seen the many Twitter posts circulating about what to do when a child is choking. I'm very grateful to Twitter. All the posts about choking first-aid (the Heimlich, back blow method) implanted the emergency response into my brain and were incredibly useful when I needed it." -Sakuko Kamiyama July 16, 2020

Readers also shared their responses:

  • “This made me shudder. My child is over one and can eat by herself, so I typically don’t watch her closely. I’ll be sure to watch her properly.”
  • “You’ve taught me what to do when a child is choking. I’m glad I’m prepared now if something happens.”
  • “The other day, my daughter got ice stuck in her throat. I didn't know the proper method so I just struck her on the back and it eventually came out. It’s really important to know what to do beforehand.”

You can see more manga by Sakuko on her Twitter account and her website.


By - Luke Mahoney.