When something goes amiss in our home, it is usually us who notices that something is wrong. The remote control is not on the desk? We notice. The lights have been left on? We notice. The faucet is dripping? Yes, we notice even that. And yet when something terrible was happening in this Canadian mother’s home, it was neither her nor her husband who noticed it — it was their one-year old daughter Celia. And she eventually saves her family's life.
Life saver
Monique chronicled this experience on her Facebook, saying, “This precious little angel did something extraordinary. Something she will not fully understand until she is grown. She literally saved our lives.
“Celia typically wakes once per night. We always get up with her and help her back to sleep. On Friday at 3 am she stirred for the second time. I attempted to make my way to her room but only made it a few feet before being completely overwhelmed with vertigo.”
The next thing they knew Monique and her husband Kyle was attacked by a bout of dizziness, headache and nausea.
“We packed a bag and woke Celia. She began vomiting and as I held her my cat collapsed at my feet," she continued wrote.
They called Kyle's parents and they arrived in time to help just before he collapsed.
The family was taken to a hospital and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and then airlifted to Vancouver where they underwent oxygen therapy in a Hyperbaric Chamber — equipment that helps a person's blood carry more oxygen to their organs.
Safety is key
"Please ensure you have a Carbon Monoxide detector and that it works. We are so thankful Celia woke us. We often wished she would sleep through the night but we do not feel that way any more. Our sweet sweet baby saved us all," she wrote.
In the comments section of her Facebook post, Monique shared that the leak came from their furnace.
Mums, when was the last time you made sure that your gas lines are sealed tight? Maybe it’s time we start checking them on the regular.
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