Mum bans Mini Eggs after boy 'turns blue and chokes' on Easter treat

08 March 2024 , 10:08

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Jacob had a Mini Egg stuck in his throat (Image: KennedyNews/VickyHeavey)

A mum has banned Cadbury Mini Eggs from her house after she claims her son nearly choked to death when one became lodged in his throat.

Vicky Heavey, 40, was seconds away from performing CPR on her son Jacob, 7, when he came sprinting outside with his hands clutching his throat on Saturday, March 2. The mum said her little one's face 'turned blue' and eyes became bloodshot so she began slapping her son's back to help dislodge the item blocking his airways.

After two long minutes of choking, Vicky said a Mini Egg flew out of Jacob's mouth and landed in their front garden in Warrington, Cheshire, before the youngster was sick from the ordeal. The mum-of-two says she could've easily lost her child that day and has vowed never to give her child the Easter treat again.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust has urged parents to 'please be safe' when giving Cadbury Mini Eggs to their kids during the Easter season. The organisation warned that the Easter treats may be the 'perfect small treat for your little one' but due to their size, they could block a small child's airway.

Vicky pictured with her son Jacob (KennedyNews/VickyHeavey)

Jacob had a Mini Egg stuck in his throat (KennedyNews/VickyHeavey)

The student nurse, who is also mum to 20-year-old daughter Ellie, said she had bought her son a packet of Mini Eggs as a weekend treat which he began eating on the sofa, when the incident took place. Vicky claimed: "Jacob came running outside with his hands around his throat. It was obvious he was choking, he couldn't speak. I just knew immediately he was choking.

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"I could see the terror in his face. He couldn't breathe. I was trying to encourage him to cough but he couldn't cough. I work in a hospital so I was quite aware of what I needed to do. I had no idea what he was choking on. It went on for a really long time, he was going blue, his eyes went bloodshot. It was quite silent considering he was choking. I was horrified. It was close to two minutes. I was close to doing CPR and ringing the ambulance. Then there was just one big blow and this Mini Egg came flying out and he was sick everywhere. I said to my daughter ring an ambulance and as she was getting her phone out, that's when the Mini Egg came out."

Vicky says her family have enjoyed Mini Eggs "millions of times" over the years - but had never considered the small round objects could be a choking hazard. She continued: "We're a family who love Mini Eggs. He must've had about a million Mini Eggs in his life. It's not something we ever thought would happen.

"It didn't actually hit me until the next day. What if he hadn't ran out to me? What if he stayed in the front room? If someone's not breathing, then you only have a short amount of time. He was seconds away from going unconscious - he could not breathe. You just don't expect it to happen when you've had Mini Eggs so many times."

The mum says she has banned the Easter treat from her house (KennedyNews/VickyHeavey)

The mum now believes Cadbury should expand the age range warning on the back of the packet. Mini Eggs currently have a written warning on their packaging which states the chocolate should not be consumed by children under the age of four. Vicky continued: "There's a warning on the packet for under-4s but Jacob is seven. I don't think the warning should be age specific.

"Even me as an adult, I could've easily choked on it. You never think you could lose your child by a bit of chocolate. It was terrifying. I never thought in a million years I'd have to do that to my child because of a Mini Egg. I was so close to having to perform CPR in my front garden on my own child because of a Mini Egg. This has put me off for life. Mini Eggs are banned this Easter. It's not worth the risk. I can't believe how long it took to dislodge."

Cadbury previously reacted to safety warnings around Mini Eggs by pointing out that they state on the packaging that the product is not suitable for children under four. The Mirror has approached Cadbury for comment.

A spokesperson for Mondelez International, who own Cadbury, said: "The safety of consumers is of the upmost importance to us and all of our Cadbury Mini Eggs products carry a very clear choking hazard warning on pack. We also highlight that these products are not suitable for children under the age of four on all Mini Eggs packaging."

Kelly-Ann Mills