KEY POINTS:
The devastated grandparents of a 3-year-old boy who choked to death at his own birthday party have spoken of their love for him and his sense of humour and zest for life.
Brodie Stephen Monk-Ulyatt of Napier could not be revived on Saturday after an object lodged in his throat.
His family told the Herald last night he choked on a cocktail sausage. A small piece of jelly-snake lolly was also pulled from his throat.
Brodie had turned 3 on March 20 and was enjoying a fourth party to celebrate the occasion over Easter.
His grandmother, Frances Ulyatt, yesterday told the Herald her only grandson would be remembered for his sense of humour.
"He was a funny little man who just loved to have a joke," she said.
"He was the sort of kid who looked like he'd been on this Earth before."
Looking at a photo of the smiling, blond-haired boy, her husband, Stephen Ulyatt, Brodie's grandfather, said: "They say a picture tells a thousand words ... You could see his sense of humour in his eyes and in his actions."
Mr Ulyatt said Brodie "loved everybody unconditionally" and was very popular at the daycare he attended.
"He had so many friends and he had such an impact."
The little boy also loved to dance and, according to a tribute in a local newspaper, helped his Poppa to look after his pittosporums.
Brodie was the son of the Ulyatts' only child, Jessica, who was too distraught yesterday to speak.
Her father said she was distressed at suggestions that her son had been eating food unsuitable for his age or had been moving around.
"He was sitting on a mat. He wasn't running around," Mr Ulyatt said.
"He choked on a cheerio. The little bit of lolly they got out was a bit of jelly snake."
A close family friend who was a first-aider had made several attempts to stop Brodie choking, including the Heimlich manoeuvre and putting his fingers down the boy's throat.
"He did everything for the boy," Mr Ulyatt said.
Doctors and paramedics said Brodie's death was tragic and very unusual. Ambulance officers worked for almost 30 minutes to try to resuscitate him at his house in Greenmeadows on Saturday.
St John received a 111 call at 1.37pm that a child was choking and sent two ambulances - one with a life-support unit. The first arrived six minutes later.
Stephen Smith, watch manager for St John Central East, said the four attending staff - an advanced paramedic and three ambulance officers - could see an object in the boy's throat.
"After a little while they managed to dislodge [it] from the child's airway," he said.
Resuscitation attempts were then made. "They terminated the resuscitation at 2.05pm. A doctor was called, and police.
"The person who made the 111 call was given instructions on CPR and how to deal with a choking victim."
Mr Smith said treatment of choking depended on the age of the person, but back blows and abdominal thrusts were the most common methods. Back blows were more usual for children.
Ambulance officers often attended jobs where people choked, but it was rare for someone to choke to death, Mr Smith said.
Dr Philip Moore, clinical director of paediatrics at Hawke's Bay Hospital, said that for every 100 significant choking episodes, only one was fatal.
