Quick thinking and ingenuity saved the life of a baby when a good Samaritan used a turkey baster to clear the child's airway and nasal passage to prevent her from choking to death.
Two weeks ago, Bill Hogenson of Ludington Michigan was working outside with his son when he overheard a neighbor's babysitter talking on the phone to a 911 operator. Hogenson heard the words "the baby is purple and not breathing," and he rushed into action to see if he could assist in any way. He ran into the house and past the babysitter who gave him directions to the baby's room as he passed.
He took the child out of the arms of the second babysitter in the house and began performing CPR. It became clear very quickly that CPR wasn't going to be enough to get the baby, 5-month-old Nessa Shoup, back to a regular breathing pattern. KSN reports that's when he got creative.
"I went into the drawer and found a turkey baster and used the turkey baster to clear her nasal passage and her airway," Hogenson said. He then reportedly pat the child on the back and turned her around to see her smiling at him. It was then he knew the child was out of danger.
Nessa's parents, Shawn Gasciogne and Robin Shoup, call Hogenson's presence that day "fate."
"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have this beautiful baby here right now and we are forever grateful," Gasciogne said.
The parents told KSN the cause of the choking incident wasn't negligence or the fault of the babysitters. They claim the baby's throat is not yet fully developed, which occasionally leads to her choking. Hogenson said every time he's seen baby Nessa since the incident, she smiles at him.
"It kind of gives us a bond for life," he said.
