Pasco County, Florida, mail carrier Kandi Young is being celebrated as a hero after helping save the life of an 18-month-old girl who was choking on a piece of Halloween candy. Young was returning to the office after her route on October 31st when she saw a mother frantically calling for help on the side of the road. Morgan Osborne’s three-year-old daughter had given her baby a hard candy after a trunk-or-treat event, and the candy had gotten lodged in the baby’s throat.
Young quickly took control of the situation when she saw the baby turning purple and foaming at the mouth. She performed the Heimlich maneuver, successfully dislodging the candy, and held the baby until she started gasping for breath. The USPS employee credits her quick response to her instincts as a mother of two herself. She also says she relied on CPR and Heimlich training she received when one of her children spent time in the NICU.
After the ordeal, Young handed the baby back to Osborne, who later expressed deep gratitude, saying, “She saved my child’s life.” Young’s supervisor nominated her for the Postmaster General Heroes' Program, which honors postal workers for exceptional acts in their communities. Immediately after the incident, the postal worker returned to her duties to make sure that the mail was delivered on time.
Source: BAY NEWS 9
Photo: Dana Hoff / The Image Bank / Getty Images