Cupar, Saskatchewan resident Justin Morrice is the father of two young boys and a 10-month-old girl, Annabelle.
About two weeks ago, Annabelle almost choked to death on a snack.
Justin had given her some Gerber Lil’ Crunchies, which is something she’d eaten before.
He turned away for a few seconds and by the time he looked back, Annabelle was gasping for air. Annabelle was choking on a Lil’ Crunchies snack. Justin performed a baby chocking rescue procedure to get the snack out of her throat.
“The next thing I heard was the sweetest sound in the world… her crying,” Justin wrote. “It was longest and scariest minute of my life,” Justin shared. “When I got [the snack] out I started shaking, she was crying and the color was back in her face. I started to cry. I just held her and told her over and over I’m sorry.”
“When she woke up after and smiled I can’t even tell you what that smile meant.”
When both of them had calmed down, Justin took a closer look at the Lil’ Crunchies container and noticed something he hadn’t before.
In a small text, there was a warning that said to serve the snack within five days of opening. He opened a fresh container to compare.
“The ones in the can she choked on I can only describe to be like a foam ear plug. I could squish it but it would expand back out and would not break apart. The ones in the new can crumbled with ease.”
Through all this, Annabelle is clearly a fighter. She was born with Down syndrome and had medical complications in the first few months of her life.
“She has been through a lot already and made it through. I thought I was going to lose my baby girl to a cheese puff.”
Thankfully, she’s now back to her smiling, playful self.
“I just want everyone who is a parent, knows someone who is, or is about to be one to just don’t get lazy. I know life is a rush most of the time. We get into routine and habit.”
“My mistake almost cost me and they say ‘learn from your mistakes’ and I hope parents everywhere learn from mine.”
