A CHILD'S birthday celebration nearly ended in tragedy when a seven-year-old boy choked on an uninflated balloon, causing his heart to stop temporarily before emergency intervention saved his life.
The terrifying incident took place at a home and was shared by the boy’s mother, Nurul Huda Zulkhairi, in a heartfelt Facebook post. She described how what began as a joyful birthday gathering quickly spiralled into one of the most frightening moments of her life.
According to Nurul Huda, her son, Uwais Al-Fateh, had been playing with a close friend during the party when he suddenly began having difficulty breathing and then lost consciousness.
"Initially, my husband and I were busy entertaining guests while Uwais was playing with his best friend. A short while later, he came to my table for a drink and then went off to play again," she wrote.
"Then my sister-in-law told us, ‘Uwais looks like he's wheezing.’ My husband fetched his inhaler, thinking it was an asthma attack. But suddenly, another sister-in-law ran in, carrying Uwais—his body already turning blue.”
“By that point, his heart had already stopped,” she continued.
Her husband and a friend immediately began CPR, suspecting that Uwais had choked on food. Despite their efforts, they were unsuccessful in reviving him and rushed him to the hospital, with Nurul Huda noting that by then, there was no detectable heartbeat.
“At the hospital, doctors were preparing to intubate him when they saw a balloon lodged in his airway. They removed it and immediately began CPR again,” she said.
“Alhamdulillah, Allah returned my son’s life to us,” she added, expressing deep gratitude to the emergency staff who helped save her son.
She extended her thanks to the Emergency Department at Kulim Hospital and the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for their swift and professional response.
The incident reportedly occurred while Uwais was playfully putting a balloon in his mouth and running around with friends, which led to the balloon being accidentally inhaled.
In a later update, Nurul Huda said Uwais was now in a stable condition in terms of blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels, though he remains on a ventilator and is still in recovery.
“He has received two bags of blood and is being monitored for brain rest. There is also some bleeding in his lungs, likely due to the CPR performed,” she noted.
The story has resonated widely across social media, with many expressing sympathy and offering prayers for Uwais’s full recovery. - May 23, 2025
