About two months ago, our one year old daughter, Ashlyn, was carrying a mid-to-high fever. She is normally a very energetic, active little girl, but on that afternoon she was just laying in our arms, moaning. All of a sudden, her body started convulsing and her eyes rolled up into her head. She was having a seizure. Jen looked at me and for a moment we just froze. A split second later we decided that since we live only a few blocks from the hospital it would be faster for us to throw her in the van and drive her ourselves than to wait for 911. Decision made.
We all loaded up into our green van. Jennifer held her in the front seat as Ashlyn’s body just shook. We hit our first stop light and Jennifer yelled, “She’s not breathing. She is not breathing.” I looked over at my little girl. She was blue. Her eyes were rolled up, motionless. Her body stiff and still. And I was stuck at a light. It turned green. No breathing. Bluer. Caleb (our son) was being so brave, but he was very nervous. I was freakin’ inside, but trying to remain calm and present. My little girl, blue and not breathing.
The light before the hospital, she began breathing again. Her color returned. She had been blue for about a minute or two. Her eyes resurfaced and she began moaning again. But she was breathing!! She’s alive. Once in the hospital, they got her fever down (which had spiked at 105) and within about two hours, she stopped moaning and our girl, whom we knew and loved, returned to us.
I just stared at her. For the longest time, all I could do was watch her. Her smile. Her eyes. Her walk. Her hands. Every move she made and every part of her body became miraculous. I just stared. Grateful.
I will NEVER forget those few hours. Life and our kids are gifts that can vanish in a blink.
