Peachtree City woman dislodges Lifesaver, saves
4-year-old's life

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City resident Vanessa Birrell rescued one of her son's 4-year-old playmates last week when he began to choke on a piece of candy.

Originally, Birrell thought Carson Brooks was trying to imitate the farm animal noises her son, Chandler, makes. Soon, however, Carson's face turned red.

"I realized that I was watching him gasping for breath," Birrell said.

But with one thrust to Carson's abdomen, the piece of candy a Lifesaver was ejected from his mouth.

The boys then asked if they could go out and play, and Birrell agreed so she could watch them and go tell Carson's mom, Donna, who was outside next door.

"It was really scary," Birrell said. "But it felt good to be able to save his life. I'm glad I knew what to do...we were all very, very lucky."

Birrell had just taken a first-aid and CPR course to gain her certification to lead her daughter's Brownie troop. A Girl Scout herself, Birrell earned her first-aid badge when she was 14. "I felt I was re-enacting the class," she said.

The kids were in the kitchen watching a movie on the living room TV when Carson began to choke, Birrell said. That's one of her rules: you have to eat in the kitchen.

At the time, Birrell was planning to start dinner but she decided to pay attention to Carson and react to what she thought were his attempts to mimic Chandler's duck and pig noises.

Had she turned away, she might not have heard or noticed Carson choking. Chandler didn't even notice it, Birrell said.

"I just want the word to get out for people to be aware and be educated," Birrell said. Her mother-in-law, a nurse, once saved her husband's life by using CPR.

"I think everybody should know CPR," Birrell added.

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