With over 6,035 lives saved, LifeVac Europe® calls for anti-choking devices to become a mandatory first aid item
Ten years after the first recorded UK save, LifeVac Europe®, the Devon based manufacturer of LifeVac® across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, is calling for its Class I medical devices, regulated by the FDA, MHRA, TGA, HPFB, MOH, and SAHPRA, to become a mandatory part of first aid kits.
Created by Arthur Lih in the United States after witnessing a child choking on a grape, LifeVac® is a non-invasive airway clearance device designed to help remove an obstruction when standard Basic Life Support (BLS) has failed or cannot be performed.
That single devastating moment sparked an invention that has saved more than 6,000 lives from the UK to the USA, Canada to Brazil, and Australia to Spain, in homes, restaurants, schools, nurseries, hospitals, care homes, and retail sites.
Eric Banagan, Founder & Managing Director of LifeVac Europe® [1], said: “Every one of the reported saves represents someone who is here today because a LifeVac® device was used when standard BLS procedures were unsuccessful. Help was available in a critical moment, meaning children still have parents, parents still have children, and grandparents remain around the dinner table sharing memories that otherwise may have been lost.”
“We’d love to live in a world where these devices were never needed, but the reality is that choking emergencies happen silently, quickly, and without warning, so people must be prepared. In the UK, ambulance target response times are eight minutes, yet potential brain damage can occur after just four, meaning every second counts. The evidence shows LifeVac® saves lives, and we believe these devices should become a mandatory part of first aid kits.”
One of the reported saves belongs to Lizzie Arora Harmon, who commented: “I was eating breakfast with my son when a piece of apple became lodged in my windpipe and I couldn’t breathe or move. James stayed calm, got the LifeVac® from the boot of my car, and used it to dislodge the apple. Paramedics later told me that if I had been home alone that day, I would have died and James would have lost his mum. We want everyone to know about LifeVac® so they’re prepared if disaster strikes.”
Lewis Steeper, Co-Founder of The Oliver Steeper Foundation, added: “Following the heartbreaking loss of our son, Oliver, in a choking incident, we know that a normal day can turn into an emergency within seconds. No parent, teacher, carer, or colleague ever expects to face this situation, yet it happens daily in homes, schools, nurseries, restaurants, and workplaces. More than 6,000 reported saves is incredible, and we are committed to raising awareness and fundraising to help provide LifeVac® devices to childcare settings across the UK, so more families are protected before tragedy strikes.”
Eric concluded: “Our mission is to see LifeVac® become a mandatory part of first aid, rather than simply an optional device used when standard BLS fails or cannot be performed, so more homes and workplaces are equipped to respond to choking emergencies and more lives can be saved.”
For more information visit https://www.lifevac.uk