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Boy rushed to the hospital after eating chicken; his mom is now warning others after the x-ray revea
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Share this to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else! - photo by Lindsey Miller
Summer time is the best, especially when its full of family, fun and barbecues. This family dinner, however, turned into a nightmare for Jenna Kuchik and her family when her son started complaining and crying because something was hurting his throat.

The unusual culprit

Ollie was eating his chicken when he felt something painful in his throat. The boy started sputtering and choking while his worried parents tried to figure out what the problem could be. Ollie's parents knew something was caught in his throat and looked to the barbecue ... while cleaning their barbecue, could one of the metal bristles from the grill brush attach itself to their next meal?

Their suspicions were confirmed when Ollies dad, Matt, found a metal brush bristle stuck to another piece of chicken that hadnt been eaten yet.

Ollie was rushed to the emergency room for an X-ray. Sure enough, the metal brush bristle was lodged in his throat.

Ollie's surgery

He stayed in the hospital overnight, and had to have the bristle surgically removed. After the surgery, doctors revealed that not one, but two painful bristles had been swallowed. Luckily, both were removed successfully. After Ollie's surgery, his relieved mother Jenna shared the scary experience on her Facebook page. It has since been shared by hundreds to help warn others about the dangers of cleaning your grill with a metal bristle brush.

A warning to other parents

No parent likes to see their kids in pain, and this mom was no different.

On Facebook, Jenna wrote, It was the most awful and difficult 24 hours of my life watching my son in so much pain, not being able to do anything to make it better and know that this could have been 100 [percent] avoidable we even have a wooden BBQ grill cleaner still new in [the] package that weve been meaning to use.

Jenna is now pleading everyone not to make the same mistake. She said, [Ollie] was such an amazing, strong, brave boy (even after not being allowed to eat or drink for almost 24 hours) and I am so grateful he is OK but I just dont ever want something like this to happen to someone else.

Be safe this summer

Keep your family safe and make sure you are cleaning your grill properly. This article reports on the dangers of using a metal brush, and suggests some alternative (and much safer methods). If you are using a metal brush, check your grill for bristles before cooking and replace your metal brush if any of the bristles are warped or worn. Or, choose to use a wooden scraper or even a ball of crumpled up aluminum foil to clean your grill.

This grilling season, you and your family will be grateful you've put safety first when it comes to summer barbecues.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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