A joyous birthday celebration turned into a terrifying ordeal when a young Malaysian boy, Uwais, nearly lost his life after choking on a balloon at his own party on May 20.
The incident, recounted in a heartfelt Facebook post by the boy’s mother, Nurul Huda Zulkhairi, took place during a party attended by close friends and teachers.
“To celebrate our son’s birthday, we invited all his best friends and teachers from kindergarten to primary school.
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“While my husband and I were busy entertaining guests, our son was running around, playing with his best friend. Just before the incident, he sat with me at the table and proudly said, ‘Mama, taste this — I mixed two drinks together’.”
“I took a sip and said, ‘Wow, that’s actually really good!’ After he finished drinking with his friend, they ran off again to continue playing,” she wrote.
“I went back to chatting with my old colleagues and had just sat down to eat some nasi kerabu — my first bite of the day because we had been so busy.
“Before it all happened, my sister-in-law Zahidah mentioned to my husband that Uwais looked like he was wheezing. Since Uwais used to suffer from asthma attacks, my husband said he would go grab the inhaler we had always kept ready.
“Then things took a terrifying turn. My brother-in-law Nabil came running while carrying our son, who was already turning blue. His heart had stopped,” she recounted.
“My husband and his friend tried different emergency procedures. They thought he might have choked on food. They attempted CPR and another technique (I can’t remember the name), but nothing worked.
“Without wasting time, my husband shouted, ‘Let’s go to the hospital now!’ He told his friend it was a 50-50 chance — our son’s heart had stopped. His face had turned completely blue.
“My husband’s friend, Dr. Rafiq, drove at lightning speed while guiding my husband on what to do.
“My husband was in shock, not knowing what to do — our son was limp, turning blue in his lap. But he kept doing CPR, hoping blood would continue flowing to the brain. As a last resort, he gave mouth-to-mouth to help him breathe.
“When we arrived at the hospital, the doctors and nurses worked urgently to save our son. As they prepared to intubate him, they found a balloon stuck in his airway. The doctor immediately pulled it out and resumed CPR — and Alhamdulillah, Allah returned our son’s life to us,” her post read.
“Thank you to the Emergency Department team at Kulim Hospital for responding so quickly. And heartfelt thanks to the PICU team at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for their meticulous care for Uwais.
“Everything happened so fast. Turns out, Uwais had been joking around with his friend, putting the balloon in his mouth while running around — and he must have accidentally inhaled it and choked,” she revealed.
“I’m sharing this story as a reminder to all parents: something as small and seemingly harmless as a balloon can turn into a life-threatening danger if we’re not careful. Never take it lightly — I nearly lost my child because of it.
“Please pray that Uwais stays strong and recovers fully. And thank you to everyone who has continuously offered prayers and support.
“Because of a single balloon, I almost lost my son. But because of love, prayers, and hope — I believe he’ll smile again like before. Mama’s waiting for you, my love,” the mother wrote.
