The family of an eight-year-old boy from Metro are warning others about the potential dangers of serving young children grapes.
When Sincere Spann was four years old a grape became lodged in his throat and despite many desperate attempts to quickly dislodge it, the boy’s brain was deprived of oxygen for four minutes leading to a traumatic brain injury.
In spite of countless medical interventions over the years, Sincere is unable to walk, talk, or communicate. He also deals with minimal consciousness.
Now his family hopes others hear his story and take their warning seriously.
On August 11th, 2019, a then four-year-old Sincere was at home snacking on some grapes when one became lodged in his throat.
“He started gasping for air. And that’s immediately when my son came and started doing the Heimlick,” Sincere’s mother’s aunt Towanda Harris recalled.
Harris called 911, but when she was put on hold she made the decision to drive Sincere the five minutes to the hospital.
At that point Sincere was already unconscious.
“It took them several efforts to try and get the grape dislodged from his throat, as well as to make him responsive,” the boy’s other aunt Dalandra Belcher said.
Doctors informed Sincere’s family he only had a one percent chance of survival, but after a month-long stay in the hospital Sincere proved everyone wrong and survived.
But it was with limitations.
Due to the “severe lack of oxygen to his brain,” Sincere has been left unable to communicate or walk and lives with minimal consciousness.
Caring for Sincere
Jushaylian Spann, Sincere’s mom, had to quit her job in order to become his full-time caretaker.
Recently while returning home, she was hit by another vehicle which resulted in the “total loss” of her only vehicle, the vehicle she used to transport her son.
Harris started a GoFundMe to raise money for her niece so she could afford a handicap accessible van.
“Sincere was a vibrant child with an infectious smile that would light up any room. The accident has left our family devastated and burdened with an enormous amount of medical expenses to provide for Sincere’s indefinite care needs,” Harris wrote.
So far more than $8,000 has been raised.
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So many of us feed our little ones food like grapes, hot dogs, and popcorn without much of a thought, but we really need to be careful because they can choke on them and the consequences can be deadly.
Please share this warning with everyone you know.
