Dip Dab Danger: Mum calls for ban after almost dying from choking on old-fashioned lollipop

A mother is urging parents to ban lollipops from this household this Halloween after her daughter almost died from choking on a 35p Dip Dab.

Natasha Middleton gave seven-year-old Maisie Brackley the sweet as a reward for her good performance at school earlier this month.

But moments after putting the lollipop in her mouth, the strawberry-flavored circle came off the stick and got stuck in the back of the little girl’s throat.

Despite desperate attempts to dislodge the lollipop, it remained stuck, and Maisie began to turn blue before becoming limp and lifeless.

Fortunately, a last-ditch effort of a series of ‘huge blows’ behind her shoulder blades proved successful, even though the lollipop remained stuck inside Maisie.

Mrs Middleton has now banned lollipops from her household and is urging other parents to do the same and not hand them out to young trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

The graphic designer, who lives in Evesham, Worcestershire, said: ’35p almost killed my daughter. It scares me that it could happen to anyone.”

Recalling the terrifying ordeal, the 27-year-old said: ‘I picked her up from school, she had a great morning and we went to the local shops and bought what she always buys – a Dip Dab lollipop.

‘We came home and unpacked the groceries. I gave her the Dip Dab and she kept it in her mouth for less than two minutes.

“Suddenly it came off the stick, the red top of the Dip Dab, and got stuck in the back of her throat.

‘I saw my daughter turn blue. I saw her eyes looking at me and saying, “Mom, help.”

It was at this point that her daughter went limp and Mrs Middleton called 999 as her partner tried to dislodge Maisie’s lollipop by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

This life-saving technique, which uses sharp thrusts under a person’s abdomen to dislodge an object stuck in the airway, was unsuccessful on this occasion.

Ms Middleton instead said that a series of blows between Maisie’s shoulders was enough to clear her airway, even though the Dip Dab itself did not emerge.

”Then (we did) five huge blows between the shoulder blades. At this point she was still not breathing so we were asked if we knew where our nearest defibrillator was. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary,” she says.

Maisie was still rushed to hospital as a precaution, but tests showed that apart from the extensive bruising she suffered during the attempts to save her life, she escaped unharmed.

However, she will need further tests to ensure that the Dip Dab, which was still in her, lodged in her throat but not blocking her airways, dissolves and does not lead to an infection.

Mrs Middleton said: ‘It’s still in her body, we can’t get it out. It’s in her body, so she’ll have to get through it at some point. There is a risk of infection.

‘Four hours later she could still feel it and you could actually see the lump in her throat.

“Even though she was at the point where she could breathe, you could still see this in her throat. You could see it every time she coughed. You saw it go up.

‘Luckily we can’t see it anymore and she says she doesn’t feel anything in her throat.

“She’s in a lot of pain at the moment, so we have to go back and she has to have an X-ray and an MRI.”

These scans will ensure that none of her bones are broken as a result of the force used during the desperate attempts to manually dislodge the candy.

Mrs Middleton said she felt immense guilt about what Maisie had experienced and urged other parents to think twice about giving lollipops to children.

‘It is the most harrowing and unpleasant experience I have ever had and horrifying. It’s literally like you’re in a nightmare at that moment,” she said.

‘It scares me that you can go to the supermarket and for about 99 cents buy a pack of lollipops with about 15 cents in them, which are a little bigger and more fragile to come off the stick.

‘It gives me the shivers, but I also get angry that these are allowed to go on sale.

‘It makes me a lot more aware as a parent. I look at things like “that’s too big”. I will remain like this for the rest of her life. That delicacy almost took my daughter’s life.’

She is urging parents and Britons in general to be particularly vigilant about the upcoming Halloween and the sweets handed out to children while trick-or-treating.

“People are going to give these candies during Halloween. Ultimately you can’t stop that,” she said.

‘Ultimately you can’t stop that, but be vigilant with the sweets you hand out, especially to young children.

‘My advice to parents is to always check what is in their pumpkin bag or what they have with them. Please watch and be safe about what sweets you give children.

‘Never let a child eat the sweets while he is on the go. Wait until you get home and check those sweets again.

“If you don’t feel comfortable with those candies and are unsure, throw them away.”

Mrs Middleton also said that we should always keep an eye on a child when they are eating sweets, and that parents should learn first aid.

‘Luckily I was sitting next to her. “If she had been in her bedroom, she would have died,” she said.

‘We wouldn’t have heard her and we would have found her dead. That scares me and scares me.

‘Luckily we took a first aid course for children, because we now have a baby. So many parents haven’t done basic first aid.’

‘The message I want to convey is: please don’t think this will never happen to you. We were one of these people.

Valeo Confectionary, Barratt’s parent company that makes the Dip Dab lollipop, commonly called a Dib Dab, declined to comment.