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K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
Specialized
Pediatric Care
Saves
Choking
Toddler
MeridianHealth.com • 1-800-DOCTORS
18
Lakewood mom Adina Greenbaum knew something was seriously wrong with her baby, Mickey, when he
wouldn’t stop wheezing. Her local hospital couldn’t spot the problem, but an ENT expert in Meridian Pediatric
Network could. Now, Mickey’s back to normal life with his mom and dad.
It was a typical February afternoon
in Lakewood. Mickey Greenbaum,
age 11 months, was playing with
his older brothers while their mom,
Adina, made dinner.
Suddenly, Adina noticed that
something was wrong with Mickey.
“I could tell he was choking and
having difficulty breathing,” she says.
“I was in a panic.”
Like any parent in that situation,
she reacted quickly. She swooped
her finger into Mickey’s mouth and
felt something in his throat. But in
trying to get the object out, she
lodged it further into his windpipe.
She knew she had to call 911 to get an
ambulance there immediately.
Insisting on a Second
Opinion
At the local emergency department,
doctors couldn’t find the cause of
Mickey’s choking. “They took some
X-rays and told me they didn’t see
anything,” Adina says.
Meanwhile, Mickey was still
wheezing, and he could only breathe
if he was lying on his back. When
he sat up, the object obstructed his
breathing completely.
“I knew there was something in
his throat,” Adina says, “and I felt
very strongly about getting a more
extensive evaluation.”
Accessing a Team of Experts
That’s when the Greenbaum family
was transferred to K. Hovnanian
Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore
University Medical Center.
“When we arrived at The Children’s
Hospital, there was a whole team of
nurses waiting for us,” Adina recalls.
The family also met pediatric
specialist Samuel Engel, M.D., an
ear, nose, and throat physician
with Meridian Pediatric Network.
Dr. Engel explained that he would
perform a specialized procedure
called a bronchoscopy. Using a scope
and camera, he would examine
A Free Resource for Parents
We’re pleased to offer you Check Up!, a complete guide
to children’s health from Meridian Pediatric Network.
For your copy, email us at kidviews@meridianhealth.com.
Please write “Check Up” in the subject line.
Samuel H. Engel, M.D.
Board certified in
Otolaryngology
Neptune • 732-280-7855
Mickey’s airway to look for foreign
objects. “If a foreign object is seen,
it can be removed at the same time
through the scope,” Dr. Engel says.
“This procedure is only performed by
highly trained pediatric specialists.”
With Mickey, the procedure was a
success, and Dr. Engel returned to the
boy’s parents within just 25 minutes.
He carried a small container holding
what had caused Mickey to choke:
the tip of a green crayon.
“We were very relieved that was
out of him,” Adina says.
Today, thanks to the responsive
care and expertise of nurses and
specialists at K. Hovnanian Children’s
Hospital, Mickey is back to playing
with his brothers and spending time
with his parents at the park. •
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