Bonnet Recounts Close Call & Praises El Moussa
- Selling Sunset star Romain Bonnet recently opened up about a daunting choking incident in which his friend, HGTV’s Tarek El Moussa, came to his rescue and performed the Heimlich maneuver.
- The “scary” moment took place while Bonnet, his wife, and their friends were spending time together before a hockey game.
- According to Medline Plus, when you’re choking, your airway may be blocked causing less or no oxygen to go to the your lungs. “Without oxygen, brain damage can occur in as little as 4 to 6 minutes. Rapid first aid for choking can save your life,” the health information resource explains.
- Bonnet recounted how lucky he felt that his friend was there and was able to quickly realize he was in trouble.
- El Moussa has been open with fans about his own health struggles as well. The HGTV star is a thyroid and testicular cancer survivor.
The 30-year-old exclusively spoke with People about the “scary” moment he had while eating at the VIP Impact Club at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., before he, his wife, and their friends Tarek and Heather El Moussa, watched a hockey game.
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He explained the choking incident to People, saying, “I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t say anything. The first thought I had was to grab some water and try to drink it.”
Revealing he tried to drink water to help push the food down, only making the situation worse, he added, “It was at that point that I couldn’t breathe.”
Thankfully, El Moussa realized Bonnet was having difficulty, asking him “You okay?”
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That was when Bonnet shook his head “no,” prompting El Moussa to understand “right away” and perform the life-saving Heimlich maneuver. Medical staff at the center also came over to help, People reports.
Medline Plus explains the Heimlich maneuver as “a first aid procedure used when a person is choking,” adding, “If you are alone and you are choking, you can try to dislodge the item in your throat or windpipe by performing the Heimlich maneuver on yourself.”
“Looking back on that “really scary” time, Bonnet said, “I’m glad my friend was there for me.”
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Revealing his wife later chose to research some first-aid training classes, Bonnet added, “Unfortunately, in many cases it’s almost too late and people think about getting training only once it happens.
“So, in my case, I was fortunate enough to have my friend to be there to help me.”
Bonnet is incredibly lucky to have such a strong support team of loved ones, including his buddy El Moussa, who understands the importance of health and making the most out of life as he previously battled both thyroid and testicular cancer, beating the diseases after surgery and other treatment.
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Be Prepared: Understanding the Heimlick Maneuver
According to Medline Plus, when you’re choking, your airway may be blocked causing less or no oxygen to go to the your lungs. “Without oxygen, brain damage can occur in as little as 4 to 6 minutes. Rapid first aid for choking can save your life,” the health information resource explains.
If you’re choking and no one else is around, it’s possible to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. The following steps should be done, as per Medline Plus:
- Form a fist with one hand, then place the thumb of that hand under your rib cage and above your navel
- Hold your fist firmly with your other hand before strongly pressing your fist into the upper abdominal area with a fast upward movement
- It’s also possible to lean over a chair, edge of a table, or railing, and also “quickly thrust your upper belly area (upper abdomen) against the edge”
This motion should be repeated until the blockage in your airway comes out.
If you happen to see someone else chocking, Medline Plus advises to offer first aid by initially asking “Are you choking? Can you speak?”
“DO NOT perform first aid if the person is coughing forcefully and is able to speak. A strong cough can often dislodge the object,” Medline Plus adds.
However, if the person is certainly choking, Medline Plus says abdominal thrusts should be done and the steps are as follows:
- If the person is sitting or standing, position yourself behind the person and reach your arms around their waist. For a child, you may have to kneel.
- Place your fist, thumb side in, just above the person’s navel (belly button).
- Grasp the fist tightly with your other hand.
- Make quick, upward and inward thrusts with your fist. (Back blows can be done instead if one is uncomfortable doing abdominal thrusts)
- If the person is lying on their back, straddle the person facing the head. Push your grasped fist upward and inward in a movement similar to the one above.
This procedure may need to be repeated several times until the blockage clears, but if the airway doesn’t clear after repeated tries, you must call 911 or a local emergency number.
Lastly, CPR should be done if the person loses consciousness.
El Moussa’s Cancer Battle
Life took a turn for reality star El Moussa in 2013 when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His thyroid cancer diagnosis came after an HGTV fan, who also happened to be a nurse, noticed a lump on his throat while watching him on television. She contacted the network, telling them what she had seen.
According to the National Cancer Institute, thyroid cancer occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is located at the base of the neck and produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. A lump or swelling in the neck is a common symptom of this type of cancer.
After treatment, in 2017, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
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Symptoms for testicular cancer may include “swelling or discomfort in the scrotum,” according to the National Cancer Institute. El Moussa worried that the cancer would impact his fertility since he had one of his testicles removed during treatment. Testicular cancer survivors may encounter fertility issues after overcoming the disease, but this is not always the case.
“Testicular cancer commonly occurs from ages 20-45, but it can occur at any age,” Dana-Farber medical oncologist Dr. Bradley McGregor previously told SurvivorNet.
During a 2017 interview with PEOPLE magazine, Tarek said of the experience: “I was at one building doing my thyroid stuff, and mentioned I was going across the street to get an ultrasound done. I’ll never forget the doctor joking, ‘I hope you don’t have cancer!’”
The treatment path for both of these types of cancer depends upon the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. Common treatments for testicular cancer include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Treatments for thyroid cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation and, in some cases, chemotherapy.
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Luckily, El Moussa was given the “all clear” and often shares his story to raise awareness on both diseases, while radiating positivity to those in need.
In a celebratory Instagram post on March 14, 2019, El Moussa wrote, “Today I got the best news ever…I’m cancer free and I’m healthier than ever!!!!
“This makes me so happy not for me but for my babies. I have to be healthy and alive for them!! (I’m tearing up writing this) Ugh…they are my everything and they need their daddy! This news is so good because I’m alive to be here for THEM!!”
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He continued, “From the bottom of my heart I love all of you. I read all your comments and feel like I know so many of you. You have followed me so long I’d probably recognize you on the street.
“I’m saying this because I appreciate you and all of your support…thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”
The Power of a Strong Support System
As a cancer survivor, El Moussa certainly knows how powerful support can be during difficult times. A support system can help someone tremendously by bringing a smile to their face, keeping them distracted, or simply just being a shoulder to cry on.
Support can come in numerous forms, but in the end all that matters is that the person knows that they have someone, or perhaps a support group of several people, in their corner.
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.