Keeping our children safe is a parent’s top priority but sometimes it can feel overwhelming.
When our child gets sick, when they are near water, climb a tall tree, run off are all scenarios when a parent can panic and fear the worst.
But these are all potential dangers that are visible, unfortunately there are dangers we can’t even see.
When mom Jennifer Abma put her two-year-old daughter Anastasia down for a nap, she had no idea the horror that would occur just one hour later. It’s a story that all parents should read.
Heatstroke is usually associated with being outdoors for too long and not drinking enough water. But in Jennifer’s case this potentially life-threatening situation developed in a hot bedroom.
The family don’t have air conditioning, but the house felt cool when she put her daughter down for a nap.
However, her daughter’s room was facing the sun and with no blackout shades the temperature quickly rose to 100 degrees, according to CBS News.
Here Jennifer describes what happened to her precious daughter in an effort to warn other parents of the dangers indoors.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2305025639533968&set=a.143786825657871&type=3&theater
“THIS was my evening, this was the scariest moment I’ve had to imagine, THIS is severe heatstroke. There is nothing scarier than not being able to wake your baby up.
“THIS is clear proof a child doesn’t need to be in the sun to get heat stroke. It took us 20 minutes to wake her up, when ambulance came, they came with investigators because they didn’t know what to expect as did I.
“This was proof how fast things change.
‘As dangerous as a hot car’
“Anastasia put herself for a nap, I had no idea how hot her bedroom was until I went to wake her up soaked in sweat, red face, boiling and unable to wake her for 15 minutes, ambulance arrived faster then I could have ever imagined and took her sugars which were 1.2 and should be above 4, they administered sucrose and in minutes she started crying clearly scared.
“No it is not my fault this happened to her but it is hard not to blame yourself, this is a lesson learnt & hopefully other parents can take something from this & make sure you are checking the rooms in your house because they can be as dangerous as a hot car.
“Still I’m shook and I can’t imagine what would have happened if I didn’t go check on her. We definitely had God on our side yesterday and I am thankful for emergency services and Jay who came as fast as possible to keep me together.”
Jennifer acknowledged how lucky she’d been in checking on her daughter when she did.
“She was minutes from death. If they were 10 to 15 minutes later, I don’t think she’d here. For a kid to be out that long — I don’t think she was going to come around,” Jennifer told CBS News.
This story is a stark reminder of how quickly heatstroke can develop and in the unlikeliest of places. Here are some warning signs of this dangerous condition.
Symptoms of heat stroke:
- Fever
- Changes in mental state or behavior, such as confusion, agitation, speech difficulty
- Reddish dry skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Excessive sweating
- Accelerated pulse
- Headache
- Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults
What to do in case of heat stroke?
If you suspect someone is suffering from heat stroke it is important that they receive medical help immediately. Prior to this you should get the person into shade or indoors, remove excess clothing and cool them down with a wet towel, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Thank goodness that Jennifer checked on her baby girl when she did.
I’m glad she shared her story to warn others; I had no idea that you could get heatstroke indoors.
Please share to warn other people and to encourage others to be aware as the summer heat kicks in.
