Mohamed Nassar, 58, was working at the Tesco Express store on New Bailey Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, when he choked on a doughnut during his break and collapsed
The relatives of a Tesco security guard who remains critically ill in hospital after choking during his shift have expressed their heartbreak.
Mohamed Nassar, 58, was working at the Tesco Express outlet on New Bailey Street in Salford, near Manchester city centre on Friday, May 8, when the devastating incident took place.
He was taking a break when he started choking on a doughnut and went into cardiac arrest, according to his family. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and ultimately succeeded in reviving him. But his heart had stopped beating for a total of 23 minutes and his distraught relatives say doctors have informed them he has suffered severe brain damage as a consequence, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Father-of-three Mohamed and his family relocated to Manchester from London in 2020 and reside in Ardwick. A former musician, he works for a third-party security firm where he has been employed for approximately five years.
His 23-year-old son Seif Abdelwaneis revealed his mother, Nancy Elkarnshawy, and his sisters Nariman, 28, and Malak, 14, were left stunned when they got a phone call informing them he had collapsed while at work.
“It was very emotional finding this out” Seif said. “Especially for my mum, she was crying a lot. We went straight to the hospital.” Mohammed is currently on life support in intensive care, where he is undergoing tests to determine the extent of his brain damage.
Doctors have told his family that it will be ‘very difficult’ for him to survive, Seif said. His family are maintaining a constant vigil at his bedside at the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI).
Seif described his dad as ‘the kindest person.’ “He would do anything to help people” he said. “He’s very outgoing, very social. All the customers know him and have a good relationship with him. He’s known for helping them and carrying their bags and things like that.
“But more than anything he’s a very loving dad. He cares so deeply about his family. All his friends and colleagues have said that, that all he ever talked about was us. He spent so much time with my little sister. He had also become a grandad as well and loved that.”
Mohamed was the family’s sole breadwinner and a GoFundMe page has been established to help support them financially as they navigate ‘the most devastating time of their lives.’ “The impact on us is really huge” Seif added.
Osarugue Onaghise, manager of the Manchester Bailey Tesco Express store, said: “On behalf of all our colleagues at our Manchester Bailey Express store, we remain deeply saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts are with Mohamed and his family at this difficult time.”
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