I will always remember May 10, 1997, as the day I truly became a mother.

The day started like any other, but by early afternoon it had grown into every mother’s worst nightmare. After a morning of playing cars, construction, and reading with my 22-month-old son, Tommy, I was feeling famished. I picked up a can of cashews from the coffee table, took one for myself, and gave one to Tommy.  After all, I had read that nuts are healthy foods to eat, so I assumed they would be a healthy food for kids. 

Deciding that one was not enough, Tommy reached for another. I told him “no,” he needed to have one at a time.

This angered Tommy and he started to cry. A few moments later he realized crying wasn’t going to work, and he opted to play instead. When he stopped crying, I heard what sounded like a faint wheezing sound. I finally traced the sound to Tommy. At that moment I knew something was wrong, only it wasn’t until later that I found out just how right I was.

Important Tip: Keep Baby Calm

I loaded Tommy up and went to the hospital. The first doctor we saw explained that Tommy had probably inhaled a piece of the cashew when he started to cry. He wanted to call in an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. He told me to have Tommy sit as calmly as possible while waiting.  It wasn't easy to keep my baby calm, but somehow I managed.  I was wrong.

So there we were, sitting in the waiting room of the local urgent care center, Tommy sitting quietly on my lap being a brave little boy, while I was praying for God to be with us.

When the ENT arrived, he was not the least bit happy. He informed me that he was glad he did not see this often. After I received a small lecture and signed a few papers, Tommy was off to surgery. After a brief surgery, which seemed like a lifetime, I was informed that all had gone well.

They had found the cashew resting at the top opening in the air canal, and they were able to remove it without any complications.

Lessons Learned and More Helpful Hints

I learned a lot from that incident. We were very lucky; God was holding my child safe in his care that day. If the cashew had dislodged and slipped into an air sack in the lung, it could have been fatal.

  • Don’t assume it can’t happen to you. The cashew that choked Tommy was only ¼ inch square--smaller than a kernel of uncooked popcorn. 
  • Watch what you give your child to eat. Wait until he is older to offer foods that pose a choking danger: whole grapes, raw carrots, raisins, apples, hot dogs, popcorn, hard candies and nuts. 
  • Once they start to eat these foods, make sure kids remain seated and calm while eating.