On Sunday, July 10, 2011, at a backyard barbeque, Priscilla Pereira a 5 year old girl was “buzzing around and singing songs” and eating grapes when she began choking. Her mother, Ivelisse Pereira, saw her child turning purple and limp. The mother is quoted by CBS news as saying “Honestly she was already gone. She was like gone... she was gone”. A family friend, who is a nurse, was at the barbeque and tried to do the Heimlich maneuver to no avail. Another friend called 9-1-1 for assistance.
The 9-1-1 call was received in the Hudson County Emergency Network (HUDCEN), Jersey City Medical Center’s EMS dispatch center, by EMT Dispatcher Jennifer Pedone who screened and prioritized the call while ensuring that the Heimlich Manuver was being performed.
The first unit on the scene was the First Responder Engine from the Jersey City Fire Department, led by Captain Albert Bauer. They also found the child cyanotic and unresponsive. Using a Bag Valve Mask Firefighters Pedro Reyes & Nelson Justino were able to get a minimal amount of air in, enough to improve her color.
Shortly after the First Responders arrival, Jersey City Medical Center’s BLS unit with EMT Supervisor William Bayer and EMT Joseph Biggy arrived and inserted an oral airway and continued BVM ventilations. They too were able to maintain the patients color and pulse.
Jersey City Medical Center’s ALS unit with Paramedics Brian Moriarty and James High arrived on the scene and upon laryngoscopy Paramedic Moriarty was able to visualize a grape lodged in Priscilla’s trachea and dislodged it with a Magill forceps. Paramedic High was then able clear the grape from the airway with a finger sweep.
Once the airway was cleared and a short round of BVM ventilations Priscilla began to arouse and cry for her mother. This was the best sound that the paramedics could hear. In order to comfort Priscilla, the EMS crew gave her a Teddy Bear that is kept on the ambulances for such occasions. Upon arriving at the hospital, mother and daughter were reunited and all was well.
A few weeks later Priscilla and her mom visited the firehouse and EMS station to meet the crews. This was followed by an official press conference of which photos, videos and newspaper clippings are available.
