A mum has relived the moment she feared her toddler would die on a Moray roadside.
Leanne Christie could only look on in shock as her two-year-old daughter Zahra’s skin grew pale and lips turned blue after choking on a lollipop.
Miss Christie, a 30-year-old mum of three, said the scenes were “like something from a horror movie”.
And she said her daughter would not be alive today if not for the life-saving actions of passers-by Jim and Sarah Bramald, who went above and beyond to help Zahra.
The drama unfolded on Sunday morning when Miss Christie, her partner, Richard Stephen, and daughters Zahra and Layla were driving from their home in Buckie to Keith.
Only minutes into the journey, as the family reached the town’s crematorium, Zahra began to violently choke after accidentally swallowing a lolly.
Miss Christie explained: “We were just driving along and Zahra was in the back with her lollipop, but the next thing we knew she was making a really awful choking noise.
“We realised that the lollipop had come off its stick, and she’d swallowed it.”
The family swiftly pulled over to the roadside, and Zahra’s panicked parents made frantic efforts to dislodge the sweet from her windpipe.
“We slapped her back a few times, hoping that would bring it up, but it wasn’t working”, said Miss Christie.
The couple launched a desperate attempt to flag down passing motorists who may have been able to help, and dialled 999 for an ambulance.
Miss Christie said: “Some people just drove past, but thankfully Mr and Mrs Bramald did stop.
“Mr Bramald turned Zahra upside down, while Mrs Bramald slapped her on the back – but that still didn’t dislodge it.
“By that time Zahra’s skin was pure white and her lips had turned blue – she was very unresponsive.
“At that point, I did actually think we had lost her and when Mr Bramald shouted ‘come on little girl, stay with me’ I completely lost all composure.”
Just as Miss Christie feared the worst, the continuing efforts paid off and she finally coughed out the sweet.
She added: “It was like something out of a horror film.
“To be honest, I don’t think an ambulance would have been able to get there on time.
“It would have been a completely different story if the Bramalds had not stopped, I’ve never been so glad to hear Zahra cry as when she did then.”
Miss Christie has since made contact with Mr and Mrs Bramald, who live in Udny Green, to thank them for their help on Sunday.
The mum, who has two other daughters in 10-year-old Emily and Layla, one, sounded a warning for other parents to make sure they know what to do should they encounter a similar situation.
Miss Christie said: “No-one ever expects something like this to happen to them, and though I knew the basics of the Heimlich manoeuvre I wasn’t aware of how forcefully you needed to hit a toddler’s back to dislodge something from their throat.
She added: “I did worry if there would be any lasting impact on Zahra, but she was soon back to taking tantrums and being a typical two-year-old.”
Moray toddler saved from death
