Toddler Survives

TODDLER SURVIVES!
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In Meridian, Idaho, May 9, an 18 month old baby got a pencil lodged in his throat at a local park. It started off just a normal morning for this little boy named Auston Banks. His mother said, “We go out every morning before lunchtime and we play to let the kids run their energy out before nap time.” One second Auston and his brother were playing on the swing, said his mom, then “I turned back to talk to somebody and it wasn’t 20 seconds later I heard this high-pitched sound, not even like a scream, because his tongue was pinned down.” At first he was just laying on his back, his mom saw the pencil and just immediately thought he was just chewing on it, but in actuality it was lodged in his throat. The first challenge was to be able to make it to the hospital in time. Luckily St. Luke’s Children hospital was only 5 minutes away from the playground. But for any parent in that situation, 5 minutes seems like a life time. “I was freaking out, I was scared.”, “All of the sudden he just went limp in m arms. I had his hands pinned down so he couldn’t pull the pencil, and I put my hands on his chest. I could barely, barely feel him breathing” said, Auston’s mom. X rays showed the pencil tip was dull, and had missed his spine while pushing his carotid artery to the side. Turns out since the pencil was not previously sharpened before lodged into the toddlers mouth it saved his life. If there had been a pointed edge it would of went through the 18 months vein and would of caused severe damage and a lot of bleeding, and would of likely bled to death before he ever reached the hospital. Greatfully, doctors successfully removed the pencil from Auston’s mouth in surgery.

My first reaction to this story was that, it was a very scary and a freaky accident. I couldn’t imagine the horror that was going through Auston’s parent’s heads. The poor child being stabbed in the neck with a pencil? Owch! I couldn’t imagine that sort of pain. I would probably pass out before I even got to the hospital. This little toddler made it all the way to the hospital strong and wanting this pencil out of his throat. I almost think that toddlers and dogs have the same immune system. It almost seems as though, you know a dog barely shows any signs of discomfort or pain, Toddlers almost have this protected layer around their body. This story made me think how worried you are as a parent. If I had children I would have a video camera taped to their noggin to see what their getting into. I couldn’t imagine the thought of one of my children getting hurt and being close to death, especially at such a young age.

I believe I reacted the way that I did because naturally, I am a worry wart…..unfortunately. But the very thought of losing a child is a crash into devastation. Which I am afraid of that when I don’t even have a child of my own. It is a freaky accident and I believe Auston was a very lucky boy to be alive. I bet he will never look at a pencil the same again. And, neither will Auston’s parents and his 3 year old brother that was there right with him when it happened. “All of the sudden he just went limp in m arms. I had his hands pinned down so he couldn’t pull the pencil, and I put my hands on his chest. I could barely, barely feel him breathing” said, Auston’s mom. That sentence right there would of put me in freeze mode if that were my baby in my arms. I wouldn’t let any red light get in my way of saving my baby’s life.

In conclusion, this is a story you only have to read once, and you won’t forget a word. A freak accident is also associated with a difficulty of overcoming the tragedy, not only the wound. Holding your son in your arms one second and then the next go limp can really scare a parent.