Summer time is the best, especially when it's full of family, fun and barbecues. This family dinner, however, turned into a nightmare for Jenna Kuchik and her family when her son started complaining and crying because something was hurting his throat.
The unusual culprit
Ollie was eating his chicken when he felt something painful in his throat. The boy started sputtering and choking while his worried parents tried to figure out what the problem could be. Ollie's parents knew something was caught in his throat and looked to the barbecue ... while cleaning their barbecue, could one of the metal bristles from the grill brush attach itself to their next meal?
Their suspicions were confirmed when Ollie's dad, Matt, found a metal brush bristle stuck to another piece of chicken that hadn't been eaten yet.
Ollie was rushed to the emergency room for an X-ray. Sure enough, the metal brush bristle was lodged in his throat.
Ollie's surgery
He stayed in the hospital overnight, and had to have the bristle surgically removed. After the surgery, doctors revealed that not one, but two painful bristles had been swallowed. Luckily, both were removed successfully. After Ollie's surgery, his relieved mother Jenna shared the scary experience on her Facebook page. It has since been shared by hundreds to help warn others about the dangers of cleaning your grill with a metal bristle brush.
A warning to other parents
No parent likes to see their kids in pain, and this mom was no different.
On Facebook, Jenna wrote, "It was the most awful and difficult 24 hours of my life watching my son in so much pain, not being able to do anything to make it better and know that this could have been 100 [percent] avoidable ... we even have a wooden BBQ grill cleaner still new in [the] package that we've been meaning to use."
Jenna is now pleading everyone not to make the same mistake. She said, "[Ollie] was such an amazing, strong, brave boy (even after not being allowed to eat or drink for almost 24 hours) and I am so grateful he is OK but I just don't ever want something like this to happen to someone else."
Be safe this summer
Keep your family safe and make sure you are cleaning your grill properly. This article reports on the dangers of using a metal brush, and suggests some alternative (and much safer methods). If you are using a metal brush, check your grill for bristles before cooking and replace your metal brush if any of the bristles are warped or worn. Or, choose to use a wooden scraper or even a ball of crumpled up aluminum foil to clean your grill.
This grilling season, you and your family will be grateful you've put safety first when it comes to summer barbecues.
