Back in 2021, John Kojides faced an unimaginable situation when his young son began choking on a chicken nugget at their home in Massapequa.
“You could see the panic on his face. He couldn’t breathe,” Kojides recalled, describing the terrifying moment involving his then-2-year-old, Eibhear.
As the family sprang into action, Kojides quickly grabbed a locally-made anti-choking device called LifeVac. With just a few pushes and pulls, he managed to clear his son’s airways.
“It might sound cheesy, but every day is now a blessing,” he said. “We even give LifeVacs as baby shower gifts. In fact, I mentioned it a couple of times last week.”
Eibhear’s rescue is one of nearly 5,000 credited to these simple yet innovative devices. A proud display of these stories can be found on the “wall of saves” at LifeVac’s headquarters in Suffolk County.
The number of photos on that wall has skyrocketed, forcing the facility to make room as new ones keep coming in. “If it were just a four-minute difference, this place would be a monument instead,” LifeVac founder Art Lih shared.
When Lih visits the headquarters, he feels as if he’s in a sacred space. “God has placed me on this mission, and I won’t stop until it’s completed,” he said.
Over a decade ago, Lih developed the first LifeVac prototype in his garage in Massapequa, starting his journey not for profit but from a place of love.
“We were using electrical tape, gorilla glue, masks, and plungers from Home Depot,” he said, reminiscing about how it all began.
The retail version is now more refined, priced at $69.95. It creates a suction seal over the mouth of someone choking, effectively removing the obstruction with no training required.
“We can significantly reduce choking deaths,” Lih asserted, reflecting on how his invention has made a difference.
Now 60, Lih found himself at a pivotal moment in life when he launched his company in Nesconset. After selling his successful transportation business, a heartbreaking incident at a hospital deeply affected him.
A father nearby had just lost his 7-year-old daughter to choking, even with medical personnel rushing to assist.
Putting himself in the parents’ shoes and recalling the guilt of being a survivor from his past problems, Lih realized he couldn’t retire just yet.
“It felt like an angel was asking me, ‘What are you thinking?'” he said.
And that’s how LifeVac came to be.
Struggles and Persistence
When Lih officially launched in 2014, the path was rocky. The company didn’t save a single life in its first two years; in 2016, only four were saved.
Even so, Lih didn’t give up, despite being turned down by Shark Tank investors. “In the end, I wasn’t interested in the business model they offered, so it worked out,” he remarked.
This product faced difficulty attracting major manufacturers because Lih, influenced by his father’s values, designed LifeVac with longevity in mind.
“They want to sell a new one every year,” he explained, adding that LifeVac offers free exchanges after use. “My father’s principles mean more than their profits.”
Trusting his vision, Lih’s mission has saved 153 lives in 2021, 357 in 2022, 1,011 in 2023, and 1,719 already this year.
According to Lih, over 3,000 children have survived choking incidents thanks to LifeVac, which includes food, toy parts, and other hazards. “These numbers are just what we’ve been told. The real figures could be double or even triple that—just yesterday, it saved ten lives,” he added.
