A 19-year-old mom has shared the heartbreaking moment her healthy baby boy tragically passed away because of a balloon.
Ashleigh Chapman and her son Heath were playing together at their home in Mount Warrigal, south of Sydney on April 8. When she went to the kitchen to prepare their meals, she heard her 11-month-old son cough but thought nothing was amiss.
When she heard another cough, she went to see her baby and found unconscious on the floor.
Ashleigh frantically checked Heath’s airways but couldn’t see anything. She immediately called triple-O and her partner Jesse McLean.
Paramedics, doctors, and police rushed to her home and her son was taken to a hospital where he was eventually pronounced dead.
In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, the heartbroken mother said: “My world got taken away from me within minutes, how am I supposed to keep living without my baby?
“I didn’t know how quickly it could happen and once a balloon is inhaled it’s nearly impossible to remove it from someone’s windpipe without surgery.”
Speaking to 7 News, the mother said: “I heard a cough. Just a normal cough. I let it slide. Then two or three minutes later, I heard another cough, like a struggle cough.”
When she was told that her son passed away, Ashleigh said: “I just dropped. I didn’t believe it. I said, ‘don’t tell me that.’ I broke down.”
An autopsy revealed that a balloon, which wasn’t completely deflated, was lodged in Heath’s windpipe.
“We decided to open them one day and we blew them up. I’m kicking myself that they were there,” the mother expressed.
Ashleigh is now trying to raise awareness about the dangers of balloons.
A family friend set up a GoFundMe page for the funeral and wrote: “We have no words to describe the grief that their family is experiencing right now, and many friends and family have asked for how they can help at this difficult time.
“In the weeks and months ahead, they will miss their child terribly and will be in need of love, compassion, time and understanding. Consideration of making a small contribution can help lift some burden.”
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