A Perth father has turned pain into purpose, convincing local councils to install anti-choking devices after the death of his son last year.
The life-saving kits will soon be found in 36 centres across Joondalup, in the hopes of stopping preventable deaths.
Zaza Bwoga was happy, cheeky, and full of life but in January last year, an innocent gesture turned tragic.
Another toddler offered the one-year-old a grape before Zaza started to choke.
Despite desperate efforts to save him, he died in his father’s arms.
“I tried y’all, I tried,” Brian Bwoga said, breaking down in tears.
“I’m very sorry I couldn’t save my son but I hope another parent doesn’t have to go through this.”
Bwoga is now turning his grief into action, successfully pushing the City of Joondalup to install LifeVac devices at all community-based facilities.
The first of 36 was installed at Joondalup Library today.
The LifeVac device works like a plunger to clear the upper airway and the emergency suction tool is a last resort if first aid doesn’t work.
“It’s not going to push any foreign object in, it’s just going to suction, you can hear that pop, that’s how it works,” Bwoga said.
“I’m very sure if we had the right tools he would have been here.”
According to the LifeVac website, it was created by Arthur Lih along with “Dr Brody and a few friends” after Lih heard a woman crying about her son’s death when he choked on a grape and the Heimlich manoeuvre didn’t work.
“I was amazed something so simple and so cheap could save lives,” registered nurse Rebecca Pizzi told 9News.
In Australia, 140 children under four choked or suffocated on food in 2022-2023.
The Perth dad’s mission is to drive those numbers down and save young lives.
“I want them in schools, daycare centres, I want first responders to have them,” he said.
