My life was turned upside down the other day. I thought my daughter was dead.
My two-year old had been suffering with a fever. The older kiddos had already been sick, and they didn't suffer badly through it, but my two-year old was different. This "cold" as we called it affected her harshly (Turns out it was RSV and an ear infection).
Sunday evening, the time we set aside for Family Night Movie, I was holding her and she was curled up on my lap. I thought she had fallen asleep, but then she started twitching oddly then started making strange whimpering sounds. My wife became immediately concerned, and I set her up to see her face. She was unresponsive and engaged in a seizure. My wife called 911.
She started foaming at the mouth and then a scary situation became worse. She stopped breathing. As she was turning blue, I rushed her to the floor and started administering CPR. After two sets of chest compressions and two sets of breaths, she came out of it. She was alive.
When the paramedics arrived, she was still highly disoriented and was not right. We took her to the ER and while enroute, my two year old's personality finally came back. I was starting to become relieved, but I could not shake the fear that gripped me when I thought she was dead.
After a stay in the hospital and a visit from the Pediatrician, we were sent home and told that this was simply a fever induced seizure and she was fine.
I cannot imagine the pain and agony one experiences when they lose a child. I only had a hint, and it knocked me to the core. I told my wife that I am not man enough to be a parent.
A couple points that I am taking away from this experience. 1. Every parent needs to know pediatric CPR (This was the second time I had to use it.) 2. Children are a treasure, and as an earlier post recognized, we take them for granted. Yet, it all can be taken away from you on a turn of a dime. So treat them as if you will lose them tomorrow, be an engaged parent while you have the opportunity.
God blessed me with the opportunity to embrace her alive and well, but many parents don't get that luxury. Violence rips families apart as we saw recently with all the school shootings, but also the violence that Sin has brought onto our world is highly destructive. Because of sin, this world is cursed with disease and suffering, but God has given us a hope of an eternal home through Jesus Christ. The answer to the world's problems is simply found when we surrender to Christ.
I thank God for His providence.
I thank Butler County EMS and the volunteer firefighters that rushed to my daughter's rescue.
