As a mother, I never once imagined I would ever find myself at the ER holding my sweet girl in my arms, tears streaming down my cheeks, uttering the words, “My daughter almost drowned.”
Two days ago we went swimming with friends at their pool. My triplets love the water — especially Charlize. She is fearless and a little fish. We were having a wonderful time with our friends. It felt like the perfect summer day.
I took Charlize and Sawyer to the bathroom then we went back outside to swim. They were both naked so I needed to dress them. The other kids and adults were in the pool playing as well. I got Charlize in her suit. “Don’t get in the water until I get your floaties on,” were the last words I said to her as I proceeded to dress Sawyer.
In a moment – an instant – a matter of seconds – my life changed when my daughter almost drowned.
“She’s in the water! She’s in the water!!” My friend was screaming from the other side of the pool as she saw Charlize struggling, submerged under the water. The next few moments were the slowest of my life. I stood up and saw with my own eyes my girl underwater fighting for her life. I couldn’t get to her fast enough no matter how fast I ran. I could see her tiny feet kicking trying so hard to get out, but she simply couldn’t.
I finally got to the pool and pulled her out as fast as I could. Her blue lips are forever engraved in my memory.
As soon as I took her out she instantly started spitting up water and in seconds she vomited up a lot of the water — and the watermelon and strawberries she had just eaten. She was sobbing. I was in shock. Her color came back and she coughed a little bit, but thank God she was okay. After about 30 minutes she was back to her normal self and eating a full dinner meal.
It looked like Charlize was playing on the larger pool step and got too close to the edge and quietly, silently and quickly my daughter got into the water and went under.
No one saw it happen, but it happened.
I had to call my husband and tell him our daughter almost drowned. I was horrified to even say the words out loud. After talking to him, we agreed we should take her to the ER. We have read so many articles about secondary drowning and wanted to be sure she was okay.
We got the boys home and headed directly there. We stood in the lobby of the ER. My baby girl was tired, cradled in my arms, and the dreaded words came out of my mouth as tears streamed down my cheeks.
“My daughter almost drowned.”
From there we had an amazing team of doctors and nurses who walked with us through this traumatic experience and helped Charlize recover. She had blood work done and a chest x-ray. My precious girl was so strong and brave, even saying “cheese” during every x-ray picture.
While her lungs sounded great, the x-ray showed pulmonary edema, an indication of inflammation and excess fluid in the lungs which can lead to secondary or dry drowning. I went numb when the doctor told us this. We were sent by ambulance to Rady Children’s Hospital to be monitored for the night.
Ryan and I laid, exhausted, in the hospital bed holding our sweet Charlize as she peacefully slept. I replayed in my head everything that happened over and over. I could not even believe my daughter almost died — but because of God’s love, grace, and mercy she is alive.
I am so thankful for her life.
