If this isn’t a glowing endorsement of those Dechoker devices that are advertised all over our social media feeds I don’t know what is. When Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, former star of the Jersey Shore, was enjoying an Italian dinner (of course) with his family, a quiet evening quickly turned into a real “situation.” Sorrentino’s 2-year-old son Romeo was caught on video (presumably from a nanny cam) choking on a piece of gnocchi. You see Sorrentino calmly stand up and walk over to Romeo, and try to perform back blows on his back to dislodge the gnocchi, and his wife, Lauren, calmly walking over to the kitchen and grabbing the Dechoker to dislodge it. The Dechoker worked instantly.
Sorrentino said in the Instagram caption, “THE SCARIEST MOMENT OF OUR LIVES It was an ordinary dinner at the Situations’ when suddenly without notice Romeo started choking on his favorite pasta pesto gnocchi!! He hunched over and wasn’t breathing,” he said.
Related: Toddler food safety: 9 choking hazards every parent should be aware of
Sorrentino continued, “I am so proud of how my wife and I didn’t panic, didn’t hesitate, and eventually dislodged the food, which was blocking the airway, and saved his life. I love my family with all my heart and am so grateful things worked out.”
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He also added that Romeo wouldn’t be having gnocchi any time soon, and that they were all going to get CPR certified ASAP.
Related: This Texas bus driver is being called a ‘hero’ for saving a choking first-grader’s life
While many people commented on how shameful it was that his wife reacted so calmly when she went to get the device, many others praised her for keeping a cool head and not panicking in the situation, so she could keep her family calm, particularly Romeo. And according to the Stanford Medicine Children’s Health website, it’s important to stay calm when a child is choking, while trying to first dislodge the object, and do the Heimlich while someone else calls 9-1-1.
