A mother has issued an urgent warning against Cadbury’s Mini Eggs after finding her son seconds from death after one got stuck in his throat.
Vicky Heavey, 40, was about to perform CPR on her seven-year-old son Jacob after he ran away with his hands clenched around his throat on Saturday, March 2.
The mother-of-two, from Warrington, Cheshire, claimed her son’s face “turned blue” and eyes became bloodshot when she began patting him on the back to help dislodge the object blocking his airway.
After two painfully long minutes of choking, Vicky said a mini egg flew out of Jacob’s mouth and landed in the front garden, before the youngster fell ill from the ordeal.
Vicky insists that she could have easily lost her son that day and vowed never to give him Mini Eggs again, banning them from her home.
A mother has issued an urgent warning against Cadbury’s Mini Eggs after finding her son seconds from death after one got stuck in his throat.
The nursing student, who is also mother to daughter Ellie Heavey, 20, said she had bought her son the chocolate treats as a weekend treat and he started eating them on the sofa when the incident occurred. .
Vicky said: ‘Jacob ran away with his hands around his throat.
“It was obvious he was drowning, he couldn’t speak. I knew immediately he was drowning. I could see the terror on his face. He couldn’t breathe.
“I was trying to encourage him to cough, but he couldn’t cough. I work in a hospital, so I was pretty aware of what I had to do. I had no idea what he was choking on.
“This went on for a long time, he turned blue, his eyes became bloodshot. He was pretty quiet considering he was drowning.
‘I was horrified. It was about two minutes. I was about to do CPR and call the ambulance. Then there was just a big bang and this Mini Egg went flying and it was sick all over.
“I told my daughter to call an ambulance and as she pulled out her phone, that’s when the Mini Egg came out.”
Vicky said her family has enjoyed Mini Eggs “millions of times” over the years, but never considered that the small round objects could pose a choking hazard.
Vicky Heavey (LEFT), 40, was about to perform CPR on her seven-year-old son Jacob (RIGHT) when he ran away with his hands clutching his throat on Saturday, March 2.
Vicky insists that she could have easily lost her son that day and vows to never give him Mini Eggs again, banning them from her home.
She admitted: “We are a family that loves Mini Eggs.” She must have had about a million Mini Eggs in her life. It’s not something we ever thought would happen.
‘Actually, I didn’t realize until the next day. What if she hadn’t run to me? What would happen if she stayed in the front room? If someone is not breathing, then you have little time.
‘He was seconds away from being unconscious – he couldn’t breathe. You just don’t expect this to happen when you’ve eaten Mini Eggs so many times.’
It comes as the Child Accident Prevention Trust has urged parents to “be safe” when giving Cadbury Mini Eggs to their children over the Easter season.
The organization warned that Easter treats may be “the perfect little gift for your little one,” but because of their size, they could block a young child’s airway.
After the terrifying experience, the mum vowed to ban mini eggs from her home this Easter and believes Cadbury should expand the age range warning on the back of the pack.
Mini Eggs currently have a warning written on their packaging stating that the chocolate should not be consumed by children under four years of age.
Vicky said: ‘There is a warning on the packet for children under 4, but Jacob is seven. I don’t think the warning should be age specific. Even I, as an adult, could have easily choked.
Mini Eggs currently have a warning written on their packaging stating that the chocolate should not be consumed by children under four years of age.
‘You never think you could lose your child over a piece of chocolate. He was terrifying. I never thought I would have to do that to my son for a Mini Egg.
“I came so close to having to perform CPR on my own son in my front yard because of a Mini Egg.”
He added: ‘This has put me off for life. Mini Eggs are prohibited this Easter. It’s not worth the risk. I can’t believe how long it took to vacate.
A spokesperson for Mondelez International, owner of Cadbury, said: “Consumer safety is of utmost importance to us and all of our Cadbury Mini Eggs products carry a very clear choking hazard warning on the packaging.
“We also highlight that these products are not suitable for children under four years of age on all Mini Eggs packaging.”
In 2018, a distraught mother, who says her daughter died after choking on a Mini Egg, warned other parents about the possible dangers of chocolate treats.
The heartbroken mother claimed she tragically lost her five-year-old daughter after she choked on “the dangerous danger” and wanted to warn families before Easter arrived so that her daughter’s death “was not in vain.”
Sophie, the unnamed mother’s daughter, died after she “choked on a mini egg and I couldn’t get it out, even with pats on the back and pushing up and under the ribs.”
“I had taken a first aid course just six months before this event, so all the techniques to help a choking child were still fresh in my mind, but it didn’t help,” the mother wrote for Tips for moms.