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Two-year-old boy almost dies after choking on popcorn

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Nash Goddard. (Photo: CENTRALEUROPEANNEWS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)
Nash Goddard. (Photo: CENTRALEUROPEANNEWS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)

A two-year-old boy has almost died after pieces of popcorn ended up trapped in his lungs.

Nash Goddard (2) from Colorado, US, needed emergency surgery after he contracted pneumonia from the dislodged popcorn fragments.

It was while watching a movie with his parents on 16 February that the toddler snacked on popcorn and briefly choked.

The next day his mom Nicole (39), a flight attendant, noticed the tot had a strange sounding cough and fever.

After tucking him into bed she called the doctor, who advised her to take Nash straight to the hospital because of his concerning symptoms.

Further tests showed the youngster had developed pneumonia from the aspirated popcorn pieces.

"The surgeons found Nash had aspirated popcorn into his lungs when he choked,” Nicole said.

"The body recognised it as a foreign object and put puss pockets around it and all the inflammation caused him to develop pneumonia in his left lung,” she explained.

"Nash didn't cough anything up when he had his choking fit, so we presumed he just swallowed it."

The doctor “didn't like what he saw” on the boy’s X-ray and he was referred for a bronchoscopy, after which the popcorn was removed in two separate surgeries.

"At 6pm they put Nash under and performed the procedure. I paced and cried the entire time my little man was in there,” Nicole recalls.

"We had no idea popcorn would’ve caused such an ordeal, it was a nightmare,” she said.

Nash's dad, Jake (39), who is also a flight attendant, had been away with work and arrived at the hospital just in time to go to recovery and see him.

"The surgeons successfully removed six pieces of popcorn from Nash's lungs but were concerned they hadn't managed to remove all of it due to the inflammation,” Jake said.

Nash Goddard

"Two days later, Nash went in for a second surgery where they were able to remove the last piece of popcorn.

"He was a little 'rock star' post-surgery and was sent home the same evening as he recovered so well," Nicole said.

Following the family’s ordeal, Nicole was warned about the risks of children under five eating popcorn, despite Nash having it before.

"We've happily given popcorn to Nash's sisters, Ashlee who’s 9 and Reagan who’s seven, and not had any problems – I had no idea you weren't supposed to give it to children under five,” Nicole said.

"Jake and I are so happy our little man turned out okay – if I hadn't of trusted my instinct and brought him into the hospital, the outcome wouldn't have been good."

Sources: Magazine Features

Pictures: CENTRALEUROPEANNEWS /WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

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