Tuesday was a day! A day I know will be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

One minute, Jack was living his best life, hanging out with CJ, Ella, and Bella (Ella’s comm hab worker). The next he took a sip of Gatorade and threw up, his face turned the color of a Smurf, he passed out and I was screaming at the 911 operator to help save my baby. It was the longest ten minutes of my life waiting for the EMS to arrive and to be honest I still have not fully processed it.

We think Jack choked on some food he had eaten. There are still some conflicting opinions on the exact cause, but after a trip to our local hospital with a bonus transfer to a Children’s Hospital, he was given the all-clear to come home. Ten hours of total chaos took what felt like multiple years off my life.

As some of you know, our family has unfortunately had numerous experiences with medical emergencies. During these times we fight through the panic and find a way to keep it together long enough to get our kiddos the help they need. Repeatedly we are reminded that our village is unwavering, even in our darkest hour, and when the dust settles we find there is a time of clarity and reflection.

Here is what I know to be true. The men and women who answer 911 calls are a special group of people. The woman who picked up my call gave detailed instructions of what we needed to do to get Jack breathing again, and by some miracle had me calmed down by the time EMS arrived. The true hero of the day was my husband though. His quick thinking and training had him reacting one step ahead of her. The instructions we were hearing were simply validating all that was already being done. There is zero doubt in my mind that Steve saved Jack’s life and if it weren’t for CJ recognizing there was a problem and Bella dialing 911 because I was physically unable, time would have not been on our side.

I pray that no parent, child, or visiting adult ever has to witness or experience what we went through Tuesday night. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I thought we were going to lose Jack. His body was not moving and there were minutes where he was responding to nothing that we were doing. It didn’t matter how many times I called his name, kissed his forehead, or grabbed his tiny hands. He wasn’t with us.

After what felt like forever, Steve’s CPR attempts brought Jack to us. His face returned to its normal color, his eyes opened, and his precious little body started moving again. It was at that moment I finally exhaled and knew that whatever came next we were ready for. Our boy was going to be okay. CJ had gone outside to wait for the EMS to arrive so I pulled myself together and went out to check on him. We sat on the front steps and hugged each other until the ambulance arrived, holding back tears.

Every night I go to bed and hope that when I wake up my day will be uneventful and boring. My wish is simple. For my family to be happy, healthy, and safe, in the least dramatic way possible. More times than not, there will be at least one small fire to extinguish in a twenty-four-hour span, and I have become an expert at doing just that. Those hiccups I share less because they have become part of our normal.

Tuesday was different, and I am asking for you to send all the good vibes you have our way. Our family could certainly use a break from trauma and stress so we can focus our energy on joy and happiness. I think we have more than earned that, and then some.

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