Nicole and Jake Goddard sat down with their three children on the couch to watch Mrs. Doubtfire. Like they always do when they watch a movie, they prepared a bowl of microwaved popcorn to enjoy. All was fine and normal— until their 2 1⁄2-year-old son, Nash, began to make an odd gagging noise. They realized that Nash was choking, but just as Jake went to the Heimlich maneuver, the little boy began to breathe again. Since Nash did not spit any popcorn, he was presumed okay by the relieved parents and the worst was over.

However, the worst was far from over. Later that night, Nash started violently coughing. The Goddards had been fight winter colds, so that was Nicole’s first thought.

But a few days after the initial ordeal, when Nash came down with a fever and had labored breathing, Nicole and Jake rushed him to the hospital.

There was so much inflammation in the child’s left lung that he had begun to develop pneumonia.

Doctors said Nash needed surgery — all due to that popcorn he inhaled on the couch a few days prior.

Now Nicole is spreading the word about her story to warn other parents about an issue of which she was previously unaware.