A 4-year-old girl named Elianna nearly died after a freak accident at her grandparents' pool in Sarasota, Florida.
The child's mother, Lacey Grace, shared the incredible story on her Facebook page and also brought awareness to what almost took the life of her young child: dry drowning.
Elianna's Survival
The accident happened April 14 when the young girl was playing in the pool at her grandparents' home with other children. Her mother stated that the children were playing with pool noodles and blowing water at one another when Elianna happened to put her mouth on the noodle at the same time someone blew in from the opposite end.
Her mother said that Elianna immediately vomited but seemed to be just fine after. Everyone thought that the worst was over, but they were wrong. The following Monday, the four year-old caught a fever that lasted until Wednesday, which was when the family decided to consult a doctor who then referred Elianna to the nearest Emergency Room. While the family had the doctor look at Elianna, within five minutes her skin turned purple, her heart rate accelerated, and her oxygen levels began to drop.
Elianna's family immediately went to the hospital where the child was treated properly and just in the nick of time according to her mom. Her mother went on to state that the two doctors who treated Elianna commended her for bringing her in when she could. She also stated that she already had a hunch as to what was causing Elianna's health to deteriorate rapidly.
What Is Dry Drowning?
Lacey stated that she happened to read about a boy who had died a year prior due to dry drowning. Dry drowning is when a person inhales water through the mouth or nose and it becomes stuck in the lungs. Dry drowning can lead to brain injury or death if it's not checked within hours of the occurrence.
The boy that Elianna's mother read about died after seven days of inhaling water. Lacey hopes to raise awareness on the effects of dry drowning by sharing her daughter's story through a Facebook post, which has already been shared over 66,000 times as of this writing.
"If you think something is off, I encourage you to get them checked out. Best case, they're gonna say, 'Your kid's OK, something that'll pass.' And, worst case, they're gonna say, 'You need to get to the nearest ER immediately," Lacey wrote.
