A 7-year-old first grader in Brooklyn is now declared brain-dead and on life support after choking on school lunch last week. The girl's family blames her school of negligence after school staff did not perform immediate first aid to the child.
Noelia Echavarria is still on life support at NYU Langone Medical Center and her family is hoping for a miracle. The little girl choked on a sandwich on Oct. 21 at around 2 P.M. at PS 250 in Williamsburg while the family suspects that she might be rushing to finish her lunch because she told them about being rushed by her teachers in the past.
While she was choking, a school staff ran outside and fortunately, an ambulance transporting a nursing home patient stopped at a red light. Private emergency medical technician (EMT) Qwasie Reid, who was with his partner, immediately went to rescue the little girl.
"There were people around. A mixture of children and adults. Mainly adults, but none near her," he said as he saw Noelia lying on the ground, unresponsive and turning blue.
"There was no one doing anything to help her. Everyone was standing away from here," he added.
Reid cleared her airways and immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a while when the paramedics arrived. He suspected at least five minutes have already passed before he came and no one ever attempted to call 911 before he did. Shortly after, both the paramedics and her family arrived.
David Perecman, the family's private lawyer who handles the case and probable law suit against the school, said that the school is liable for Noelia's condition. Their negligence in handling the case led her to the intensive care unit.
"My concern is how the school responded. If he's the first person who called 911, then the school did not. They need to have an honest investigation, not a cover-your-back investigation," he said.
Her devastated mother, Ana Santiago, had to be hospitalized several times after having seizure attacks on the site of her daughter on life support. "They should have saved her life," she said.
Meanwhile, Reid was suspended without pay by Assist Ambulance because he did not follow protocol. Their policy says they should not stop unless they were called and deployed by the company.
"I don't regret it. I'd do it again. If I know there's a child choking, I'm going to do my best to help her," he said.
The school's principal sent letters to the student's parents assuring them that their staff are trained during emergency cases.
"Speaking on behalf of the teachers and staff of P.S. 250, I want to reassure you that our school personnel has been trained in response to emergencies and we will always follow all protocols and procedures to ensure the safety of all our students," Principal RoseAnn LaCioppa wrote.
In previous reports, some schools trimmed down their lunch breaks to just 15 minutes making kids rush their meals. Most public schools in the United States just offer a few minutes for eating lunch making it an unhealthful way to encourage them to eat properly.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend 20 minutes lunch time for students. However, if the waiting time and time to get food would be included, children are lucky to have at least 10 minutes table time.
Choking is a leading cause of injury among children especially in younger kids ages 4 and below. In a study published in 2013, researchers found out that an average of 12,400 children ages 0 to 14 were treated in emergency rooms due to non-fatal food-related choking each year. That is equivalent to 34 children per day.
