The 101 Barbershop donates anti-choking devices to SSISD

Alma Arter and Jorge Santacruz of The 101 Barbershop recently presented Sulphur Springs Independent School District Superintendent Deana Steeber and Assistant Superintendent Jeremy Lopez with three LifeVac, anti- choking devices.

The devices will go to primary campuses, a potentially life-saving safety tool school personnel can use should a child begin choking on those campuses.

Dr. Steeber said she and other administrators would discuss the matter and whether additional Life-Vacs would be purchased for additional campuses.

Arter said the donation was to spread awareness about the product and to help make so no other family experiences the tragedy her friend’s family suffered — a small child choking.

She said working in conjunction with the Westyn Mandrell Foundation, created to spread awareness there is a device available to assist if a child is choking aside from the Heimlich maneuver.

The foundation, named in memory of the little boy who died, promotes the LifeVac device after speaking with many different individuals and research testing various anti-choking devices.

Already the Westyn Mandrell Foundation has been instrumental in providing LifeVac anti-choking devices to all campuses in Rains ISD, for all city and county police vehicles, every restaurant in the community, all day cares in that county.

“”Surrounding areas have joined in understanding and supporting the need for our cause. What an amazing accomplishment! We have even experienced a life saved, a 12-monthold boy also choked and his parents had purchased a LifeVac after the loss of Westyn and the anti-choker saved their son’s life. Also a kindergartener at Rains was saved just last month after swallowing a quarter. We knew that our mission was going to be fulfilling!” Foundation officials reported.

Arter said The 101 Barbershop would like to see the same thing happen in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County — for all schools, especially those serving younger children; day care facilities, restaurants, emergency services vehicles and others who frequently tend, serve or encounter youth regularly to have the anti-choking devices so they are prepared in the event a child begins choking, The LifeVac devices cover the mouth and nose of the child with what looks like a bottle top, has a bulbous end that looks similar to a baby bottle nipple with a pacifier end, which is used to vacuum whatever is choking the child out.

Currently, those placing an order at www.LifeVac. net can receive a 10% discount per unit purchased using promotion code Wmf10. A donation will be made to the Westyn Mandrell Foundation for each LifeVac building to fund the awareness message and potentially help devices to be donated to organizations.