An Early Father’s Day Gift

By a stroke of luck, Erin Lewis forgot part of her dance costume last Wednesday afternoon – causing her to go back in the house and find her grandfather, Jim Lewis, choking and near death.

Her find triggered what the family is calling the best Father’s Day gift anyone could give a father – a life saved and another chance to live.

When Erin found her grandfather hunched over in the bathroom, choking on his dentures – which had broken in half and slipped down his trachea – she called out as loud as she could for her father, Danny Lewis.

Danny had been outside with his son, Matthew Lewis, playing catch and waiting for Erin to get her things.

Danny rushed to action and went inside.

“Danny came running to find his dad chocking,” said his mother, Suzanne Lewis. “He performed such heroic efforts without even thinking – initiating CPR and doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. However, the biggest thing he did was to reach into Jim’s throat and remove the dentures. All this time, Jim was breathing, but wasn’t responding and was turning blue. His eyes were rolling back in his head.”

Jim – in writing – said he is incredibly thankful for the early Father’s Day gift his son gave him last week.

“The ambulance was just trying to keep me alive and we went to the Whidden, but it was so serious that they changed course and headed to the MGH in Boston,” he wrote. “The paramedics congratulated my son for doing such a wonderful job and the doctors said that I probably survived because of my son’s quick help. They would have needed to do a tracheotomy, but they don’t think I would have made it alive to the MGH if not for my son.”

Lewis said he was also grateful to the Revere Fire Department and Cataldo Ambulance for their quick actions and lifesaving efforts.

In another nod to Father’s Day, he wrote that he would like to thank his other son, Eddy, for taking care of him.

“I’m just so thankful for everyone after all of this,” he wrote. “I also on this Father’s Day want to thank my other son, Eddy, for his true devotion to me and always being there when I needed him. This whole incident has really put life into perspective and shown me how much my son’s love and care for me.”