A devastating personal loss is now driving a life-saving initiative across local schools, as Community Bank Bullsbrook-Ellenbrook and Bindoon partners with ZaZa’s Legacy to turn grief into action.
On January 15, 2024, Brian Bwoga’s life changed forever during a parent’s group outing to the beach. His 2-year-old son, ZaZa, was sharing snacks by the foreshore when his best friend handed him some grapes. He began choking on five of them.
Brian had first aid training. He recognised the signs immediately and acted without hesitation. “I knew the protocols — back blows, the Heimlich manoeuvre. I was able to dislodge just one,” explains Brian. But it wasn’t enough.
“Within four minutes, ZaZa passed away. He just closed his eyes and gave me that last look — the same eyes he gave me when I delivered him at home two years before. I just knew he was gone.”
The ambulance arrived 20 minutes later — a moment that still sits heavily with Brian. “I feel like that was one of the things I failed,” he says. “I don’t think it was anyone else’s responsibility to save my son. I think it was mine — and unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
In the days that followed, the grief was overwhelming — but it would eventually become the catalyst for something more. And in the darkness, there was also light: “The community rallied,” he says. “People raised money within 24 hours. Meals came for months. I always say I’m one of the luckiest people, because of what the community did for us.”
As time passed and the initial flurry of activity, support, and emotion that accompanies a death started to ebb, Brian was left alone with his grief. “After the burial, I came home and everybody had gone. That’s when it really hit — what do I do?”
He started looking for stories similar to his, searching for answers. “I became obsessed with the numbers. I was shocked by how many choking incidents we have in Australia. It gave me a fire — I needed to start fixing things.”
That search led him to discover the LifeVac device — a simple, suction-based tool designed to clear airway obstructions when traditional first aid fails. Using a one-way valve, it prevents objects from being pushed further down the airway while generating strong suction to remove the blockage. It is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as a Class 1 medical device and has passed clinical and post-market reviews. Yet its existence in Australia is not well-known — not even among medical professionals.
“This device — it’s $160,” Brian says. “If I had it, would my son be here? I think so. It could have given me a bridge between first aid and the ambulance arriving.”
From that moment, ZaZa’s Legacy was born. Brian’s quest started modestly, with him hoping to just get a single device placed in his local library. But it quickly grew. With initial backing from the City of Joondalup, particularly Councillor Rebecca Pizzey, who said, “Let’s just put them everywhere” – they mapped out 36 community facilities in Joondalup to install them in. Other councils soon followed.
Today, ZaZa’s Legacy focuses not only on installing LifeVac devices, but also on educating communities about choking risks, first aid response, and even advocating for clearer warning labels on high-risk foods like grapes.
The work comes at a cost. “I call it emotional currency,” Brian says. “Every time I tell the story, I relive the trauma. It’s not glamorous, but I’m okay doing it. I’ve already lost my son. I’m just using the pain for a purpose.”
That purpose is now being supported locally through a partnership with Community Bank Bullsbrook-Ellenbrook and Bindoon.
Stacey Teti, the Community Bank’s Community Engagement Advisor, says the decision to get involved was an easy one.
“I had been following Brian for quite some time, and having children myself, it really resonated,” she says. “There are so many families in Ellenbrook, Bullsbrook, Bindoon, and surrounds — this is a device everyone should have.”
Through its grant program, the Community Bank is funding the supply of 30 LifeVac devices for schools across the City of Swan, Bullsbrook, Bindoon, and Moora, with installations taking place over the coming school term.
“The whole idea of community banking is giving back,” Stacey says. “We understand the emotional toll of what Brian is doing, and we just want to support him and the community as much as we can.”
David Blyton, Bendigo’s Business Development Manager agrees.
“Once Stacey brought the cause to our attention, we looked at our catchment area and saw an opportunity to help,” he says. “We’re rolling out these devices into schools and hoping to get as many in place as possible.”
The goal is simple — and heartfelt. “Hopefully none of those schools ever have to use it,” David says. “But it’s about spreading awareness and being prepared.”
For Brian, every device installed is another chance to save a life — and honour his son.
“When I hear a life saved with the LifeVac, I’m not going to lie — my heart sinks at first because I wish it was my son who was still here,” he says. “But I’m grateful. If we can save somebody, I’ll carry the pain.”
“This is his legacy. People will know about ZaZa more than they know about me. He’s living through others — because of his death.”
You can read more about ZaZa’s Legacy, or sign up to sponsor a LifeVac device at www.zazaslegacy.org.au.
