Many Local Groups Honored At Eighth Annual Star Of Life Awards For Saving Granite Moseley

Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for Children recognized Bradley County EMS, Bradley County 911, Bradley County Fire and Rescue, Charleston Police Department, Bradley County Sheriff’s Department, and Erlanger LIFE FORCE at the Eighth Annual Star of Life Awards in Nashville at Rocketown.

The mission of TN EMSC, the host of the Star of Life Awards, is to ensure that every child in Tennessee receives the best pediatric emergency care in order to eliminate the effects of severe illness and injury. The ceremony reunited the EMS personnel on stage with the young patient, Granite Moseley. The Star of Life Awards are designed to honor Tennessee’s excellent prehospital providers for their lifesaving care. The evening recognizes these crews who are on the frontlines of emergency care.

Below are the recipients for Region 3: 

Jeff Jones, CCEMT-P
Will Plemons, EMT - IV
David Mooneyham, CCEMT-P
Chuck Payne, EMT
Jesse Coleman, D.O.
Wes Davis, Dispatcher
Heather Allen, Dispatcher
Casey Croft, Dispatcher
Sam Silvers, Dispatcher
Lt. Davis Sims
Matt Godbee, Engineer
Michael Stephens, FF
Glenn Susskind, Flight Medic
Tina Biggs, RN
Brad Simmons, Pilot
Andy Lopez, Communicator
Chief Johnny Stokes
Patrolman Louis Johnson
Sheriff Eric Watson 

Granite Moseley’s life was saved when he was choking on a hot dog on May 14, 2015. Granite’s father quickly sprang into action to save his son’s life as he struggled to breath and began turning blue. The emergency crews arrived and began administering lifesaving care to the five-year-old boy, ultimately removing the object and stabilizing his breathing. Granite was transported to Tennova Healthcare Cleveland and subsequently transferred via Erlanger LIFE FORCE to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger where he, amazingly, made a full recovery. Each of the crew members played a vital role in saving this young boy’s life.

Here is Granite's story: 

On the evening of May 14, 2015, five-year-old Granite Moseley was chomping on a hot dog as only a 5-year-old boy can, when he suddenly began choking. His Dad wasn’t in the room, so Granite ran to find him and was gesturing to his Dad that he couldn’t breathe.  When Granite’s father realized that his son was in distress, he immediately attempted the Heimlich maneuver and activated 911. Granite’s father noted that his son was turning blue and was struggling to breathe, but was not moving any air.  

Granite soon became unresponsive and the repeated back blows and Heimlich maneuvers were unsuccessful in clearing his airway.  After calling 911, Granite’s Dad was instructed by Bradley County 911 dispatchers Wes Davis, Heather Allen, Casey Croft and Sam Silvers to start CPR.
When the Bradley County EMS crew, consisting of Critical Care Paramedic Jeff Jones, EMT Chuck Payne and EMT-IV William Plemons, arrived on the scene they were met by a group of firefighters. Lt. Davis Sims, Engineer Matt Godbee, and Firefighter Michael Stephens from Bradley County Fire Engine 10, brought the limp and lifeless child out to meet them.   On the scene was Chief Johnny Stokes and Patrolman Louis Johnson of the Charleston Police Department and Sheriff Eric Watson of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department. 

EMT-IV Plemons quickly evaluated the patient and began assisted ventilations with a bag-valve-mask.  Jeff Jones noted that Granite was unresponsive, but thankfully had shallow respirations, though only at a rate of less than 6 per minute. He was blue with a weak central pulse and peripheral pulses were absent. Capillary refill was four seconds.  

Ventilations were met with strong resistance and there was little or no chest wall movement. Granite’s airway was suctioned, at which time a large Oscar Meyer foreign body was visualized and confirmed it was indeed a portion of the hot dog he had been eating earlier.  

Paramedic Jones tried multiple times to remove the obstruction with Magill forceps, but was only able to get small pieces as the hot dog would break off in smaller parts each time it was grasped with the forceps. Eventually enough of the obstruction was cleared to enable the emergency responders to partially ventilate Granite and he was moved to the EMS Unit.

While continuing ventilations and attempting to remove the obstruction, other treatments were being performed simultaneously. Intraosseous vascular access was established in Granite’s right lower leg for fluid and medication administration, and he was placed on a cardiac monitor. During this time EMS Medical Director, Dr. Jesse Coleman, and Shift Supervisor David Mooneyham, a Critical Care Paramedic, arrived on the scene to assist in the attempts at removal of the foreign body. 

Eventually, Granite coughed vigorously, which moved the remaining obstruction into the oropharynx and the last portion was removed.  (It was 3 inches long!) At this point, Dr. Coleman requested that Granite be chemically paralyzed to secure the airway.  The rapid sequence intubation was successful and he was intubated on the first attempt.  Granite was transported through emergency traffic to Tennova Healthcare Cleveland where he was stabilized and subsequently transferred via Erlanger Lifeforce. Andy Lopez was the flight communicator and placed Granite in the care of Flight Medic Glenn Susskind, Flight Nurse Tina Biggs and pilot Brad Simmons as the young boy was flown to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. 

Granite was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and, not long after, was discharged home and has made a complete recovery. This was a miraculous call that could have gone bad in so many ways.  This was an unwitnessed event with Granite’s father (who had been taught CPR and the Heimlich maneuver) as the first responder, followed by Ground EMS with on-scene participation of their Medical Control physician and finally, the use of Air Transport services.  Thanks to this coordinated team effort Granite is here with us tonight. It is for these reasons that Bradley County EMS, Bradley County 911, Bradley County Fire and Rescue, Charleston Police Department, Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and Erlanger LIFE FORCE receive the 2016 Star of Life Award for Region 3. 

Director Tidwell will now present to Granite his “Certificate of Life” that reads:  “It is hereby certified and solemnly attested that Granite Moseley survived a life-threatening event on May 14, 2015.  This certificate commemorates the first day of the rest of your life.”