Choking scare at daughter’s Gravesend nursery leads mum to raise funds for anti-choking devices for all childcare settings
A terrifying choking incident at her daughter’s nursery has set one mum on a mission to equip her local nurseries with anti-choking devices.
Angela Chapman, from Gravesend answered the phone to a call from her three-year-old’s nursery telling her not to worry but her three-year-old had almost choked on some potato.
The mum-of-seven said: “I got a very scary phone call. It was a member of staff from my daughter’s nursery in New Barn who told me not to panic as everything was ok now, but Bella had choked on some potato at school.
“This wasn’t just a gag or a cough, but a proper full-on choke where the food got stuck.
“Thankfully, Bella goes to an amazing little nursery where staff are aware and on the ball with incidents such as this.
Angela, 43, added: “They spotted Bella choking straight away, and thanks to their quick thinking and reactions and some very hard back blows the food was dislodged.
“Despite being initially very upset and put off her food for a little while, Bella was absolutely fine, but I dread to think of what a different outcome this could have been.”
In response, Angela has decided to help support the nursery by fundraising for some life-saving equipment with help from the Oliver Steeper Foundation.
Three years ago on September 23, Oliver choked on food at his nursery in Ashford.
Days after the incident at Jelly Beans Day Nursery the nine-month-old died and his parents Lewis and Zoe put their efforts into raising money to stop the same thing happening to another child.
The Foundation was created in mid-2023 with the aim of providing a LifeVac anti-choking device in all registered early years childcare settings. Each device costs between £65 and £85.
More than 700 devices have now been placed in nurseries, preschools and childminders across Kent and the project has raised more than £11,000 and began to expand to the rest of the UK.
To mark the anniversary of Oliver’s death, Lewis said they spent the day training nurseries on how to use the devices.
“It was a sad day but it made it a special day knowing his legacy is out there making a difference.”
After what happened to her daughter, Angela set up a fundraiser to collect money to buy her daughter’s nursery a LifeVac and after smashing her target she is giving the rest of the funds to The Oliver Steeper Foundation to help their campaign.
Angela said: “We have reached and gone beyond our target for Abacus Nursery New Barn and they are incredibly humbled and grateful. Any further donations I would love to pass on to The Oliver Steeper Foundation to continue their invaluable work.”
To donate click the link here.
Lewis told KentOnline: “We are purely reliant on public donations so we attend village fates etc and rely on people donating to our just giving page.
All childcare settings that have a LifeVac device
“We are really grateful Angela is doing this.
“The devices are so important. It is an extra level of added protection for any human being in a choking emergency once first aid has been attempted and failed and an ambulance could be a distance away.
“The LifeVac device gives staff another tool to save a life. With a simple “place, push, pull” rhythm on the device.
“It has so far saved 2,863 lives, with 1,800 of those being children.”
Acting nursery manager at Abacus Nursery, Emma Friend said: “It was a horrific moment. You hear about people choking but you don’t expect to actually witness it.
“The quick thinking of the staff was amazing but it’s great to know that we have the reassurance that once the staff have done all they can with first aid they have this device as a back-up.”
Last week a mum told KentOnline how she saved her son from choking on a coin at home after purchasing one of the devices after hearing Oliver’s story.
