A routine play session turned into a life-or-death emergency for Sydney mother-of-two Casey De Farria, when her four-year-old daughter began silently choking on an ice cube.
A Terrifying Moment During Play
Casey was playing with her daughter in early 2023 with a toy doll that changed colour in iced water. In a split second, the ordinary day turned terrifying. The child picked up an ice cube, put it in her mouth, and tilted her head back, causing the cube to slide straight down her throat. "It was a complete airway obstruction and she was not able to breathe. It was completely silent," Casey recalled in a video for CPR Kids, where she works as a social media manager.
Acting Fast: The Lifesaving Response
Thanks to her CPR and first aid training, Casey's mind immediately switched to action mode. Despite her daughter's panic, the mother focused on staying calm, reassuring the child, and keeping her still enough to deliver back blows. "At first, it was hard to give her back blows because she was panicking and moving around. So I was trying to deliver the most effective back blows possible," she told the Daily Mail.
Using the heel of her palm, Casey delivered five sharp back blows between her daughter's shoulder blades. She knew she would have to call Triple-000 (Australia's emergency number) if the first attempts failed. "The sad reality here is that if it had gotten to a point where she wasn't allowing me to do the first aid, she would have eventually become compliant because she would have been unconscious," she stated soberly.
A Crucial Warning for All Parents
Fortunately, the fifth back blow dislodged the ice cube, causing the girl to vomit. Both were left distressed but safe. The incident was a shocking wake-up call for Casey, who admitted she never considered standard ice cubes a serious choking hazard for children. "I thought they would have been too big to be a risk," she explained, noting how children can always surprise their parents.
Now, her family has a strict rule: ice must be crushed or broken into tiny pieces before consumption. She also waited a considerable time before letting her children have ice in drinks again after the traumatic event.
Every year, Casey shares her story to raise awareness. She emphasises that while an ice cube might eventually melt, every second counts during a choking incident. Her post has resonated with thousands, with many parents admitting they were unaware of the danger. The nurses from CPR Kids advise avoiding giving young children whole ice cubes, as they can cause a complete airway obstruction.
How to Perform Back Blows on a Child:
- For infants under one: Place them face down across your knees, head lower than chest.
- For older children: Have them sit and lean forward, or lie them on their side on the floor.
- Give up to five sharp back blows with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades.
- If unsuccessful, begin chest thrusts and alternate between five back blows and five chest thrusts until help arrives or the blockage clears.
Casey's message is clear: be mindful of hidden hazards and, vitally, know what to do in an emergency. Confidence and skills matter when seconds count.
