Jerusalem Medic Saves One-Year-Old Toddler From Choking on Eraser

A one-year-old infant in Jerusalem was saved from choking on an eraser thanks to the swift response of a nearby Magen David Adom (MDA) medic.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the medic, Yossi Kassuto, was preparing to leave for a sports activity. Concurrently, an emergency call was dispatched to the MDA 101 emergency hotline reporting a choking infant on the very street where he resides. Upon hearing the alert, Kassuto rushed immediately to the family's home.

The toddler, Eli, had been playing with an eraser while his older siblings were drawing with pencils. He put the eraser in his mouth and quickly began experiencing breathing difficulties and signs of asphyxiation. His parents raised the alarm, and upon arrival, Kassuto found the infant in his mother's arms, cyanotic and struggling to breathe.

Kassuto immediately initiated life-saving measures, administering back blows to dislodge the foreign object. After the eraser was expelled, Eli began to cry, his breathing normalized, and his skin color returned to standard.

"When he started crying, a heavy stone was lifted from my heart. It was a cry that signaled life. A few moments later, his skin color returned to normal, he calmed down, breathed regularly, and responded to his surroundings," the medic recounted.

Kassuto noted that the incident deeply resonated with him as he also has a one-year-old son. He emphasized the critical importance of contacting the MDA 101 emergency hotline immediately in such situations to receive life-saving telephone guidance while professional teams rush to the scene.