Nicole and Jake Goddard sat down on the couch to watch Mrs. Doubtfire with their three kids. Like always, they prepared a bowl of microwave popcorn to enjoy with their movie.
Everything was fine and normal — until their 2½-year-old son, Nash, started making a strange gagging noise. They realized Nash was choking, but just as Jake went to perform the Heimlich maneuver, the little boy started breathing again. Since Nash didn’t spit up any popcorn, the relieved parents figured he swallowed it and the worst was over.
However, the worst was far from over. Later that night, Nash started coughing. The Goddards had been battling winter colds, so that was Nicole’s first thought.
But a few days later, when Nash came down with a fever and exhibited labored breathing, Nicole and Jake rushed him to the hospital.
There was so much inflammation in the little boy’s left lung that he had started to develop pneumonia.
Doctors said Nash needed surgery — all because of that popcorn he inhaled on the couch a few days prior.
Now Nicole is sharing her story to warn other parents about an issue of which she was previously unaware.
Now that I’ve had a chance to sit and reflect on a very unfortunate but eye opening event that our family encountered. I…
Posted by Nicole Johnson Goddard on Sunday, February 24, 2019