Rosario Monachino
A heartbroken mother has issued an urgent warning to parents after her seven-year-old daughter was tragically killed by her own birthday balloons.
Little Alexandra Hope Kelly was celebrating at her home in Clinton, Tennessee, US, when tragedy struck.
Her mother, Channa Kelly, says she found her daughter ‘face down on the living room floor’ and immediately called 911.
The emergency services ‘worked tirelessly’ to try and bring her back – but their attempts were unsuccessful.
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Kelly explained in a post on Facebook that she ‘never imagined that there was such a risk’ and was totally unaware of the potential dangers.
She now hopes that her story can help prevent further tragedies in the future.
“Alex asked if she could pop her large ‘7’ balloon and I said that was fine,” she writes.
“I would have never imagined that she would have been able to fit this balloon over her head. I went to my bedroom unaware of any dangers with this type of balloon.
“I fell asleep briefly and when I woke up I found my daughter face down on the living room floor where I had left her.”
She adds that she noticed the balloon over her head and removed it quickly before calling 911 and performing CPR on her daughter.
“A police officer arrived and took over CPR followed by firefighters and paramedics. They worked tirelessly to try to bring her back but their attempts to revive her were unsuccessful,” Kelly continues.
The grieving mother was unsure if she died from ‘helium poisoning or suffocation’ and they are waiting for her cause of death to be confirmed – which can take up to six months.
She finished her post by saying that she hopes to bring awareness about the dangers of balloons and hopes that her own tragedy can save other parents from the same experience.
“I hope and pray that this will save the lives of other children. I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience the pain and devastation that the loss of a child brings,” she writes.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Kelly’s sister-in-law, Kristi Tucker, in hopes of covering funeral costs.
At the time of writing, it has raised $14,700 – close to its $15,000 target.
In Alexandra’s obituary, she is described as ‘a loving and kindhearted little girl with a vivacious spirit’.
It continues: “She loved to sing and dance and make her mama laugh. Her animated conversation could make anyone smile and she was wonderful to talk to.
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“Her favourite colour was blue and the sparkle in her eyes revealed a true angel on earth. Now she is an angel in her Heavenly Father’s arms and so many hearts are broken to not have her still here with us.
“However, we are comforted knowing that the beauty she brought to this world will never be forgotten. She was a precious soul and her Father needed her with Him. He called her home, but her light remains.”
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