Indonesian boy with squeaky breathing has whistle removed from airway after accidentally swallowing it in October

An Indonesian boy from Bandung regency in West Java can now literally breathe a sigh of relief after he had a whistle removed from his respiratory tract, which had tormented him for the past couple of months because of the squeaky noise he would produce when breathing.

In October, 9-year-old Asep Yaya plucked out a small plastic whistle measuring around 3 centimeters from a pair of children’s sandals, designed to make them squeak when stepped on. Asep was blowing the whistle when his younger cousin jumped on him, causing him to fall and swallow the tiny part.

Since then, with the whistle lodged in his airway, Asep would make a squeaking noise with every deep inhale.

“For two months [he would squeak] when he’s tired [and gasping for air], or when he’s sleeping soundly, we can hear the noise,” his father, Subandi, told Kompas yesterday, adding that the whistle thankfully did not affect his appetite or disrupt his digestive system.

Subandi said that Asep couldn’t get the whistle removed immediately due to the family’s financial limitations. They first had to apply for the BPJS (Health Care and Social Security Agency) national healthcare plan and Asep was examined at several hospitals for two months.

Sadly, during that time, Asep regularly skipped school because other kids often bullied him for his squeaky breathing.

Finally, Asep was taken in for a bronchoscopy — a non-surgical procedure — at the Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung yesterday, where, after 30 minutes, doctors were able to extract the whistle which had found its way deep into his lower respiratory tract.

“The whistle was lodged in the main branch of his left bronchus,” Dr Lina Lasminingrum, head of otolaryngology at Hasan Sadikin Hospital said, adding that there were no complications and that Asep should fully recover in no time.

It’s a huge relief that Asep is now able to breathe normally again, and his case should serve as a reminder for parents in particular to make sure their children don’t put small toys or parts anywhere near their mouths.