Tonight, 7-year-old Jeremy Bacon is up and running after nearly choking to death after church on Sunday at Valley Forge Baptist Temple in Collegeville.
"I thought I was going to die," the 7-year-old told Action News Monday night.
Jeremy and his father Charles were about to head home on the ministry bus. Jeremy was playing Chubby Bunny with other kids; it is a game which involves speaking with a mouthful of marshmallows. One of the marshmallows got stuck in Jeremy's throat.
The adults worked to dislodge it. His father reached his hand in to try manually. Jeremy clamped down breaking his two front teeth, but the marshmallow stayed put.
"Before I knew it, I was unconscious," Jeremy said.
Charles scooped up his son and ran inside for help. Inside the church was Emily Connolly, an x-ray technician certified in CPR, which includes performing the Heimlich maneuver.
"He literally looked like a dead little boy, it was the most horrible feeling in the world. Being a mother myself, I couldn't imagine someone's child," Emily said.
Emily began the Heimlich, but she says she wasn't strong enough. She called for her husband Mike who is also CPR certified. It took seven upward thrusts until Jeremy began to cough.
"I heard him cough a little bit and he started to cry and it was so good to hear him cry," Mike said.
"Valley Forge Baptist Temple has a motto - the caring Church - and we really got to see that yesterday," Pastor Scott Wendal said.
The whole episode lasted a frightening five minutes.
On a brighter night, Jeremy says the tooth fairy was very generous.
"I think she gave me extra money because I was unconscious," Jeremy said.
Everyone is just so relieved Jeremy is OK. Now the church is taking action. Pastor Scott Wendal is checking the calendar and planning to hold a CPR class so the rest of the church members can learn the Heimlich maneuver.
