Whatcom Fire District 4

Cole got to meet the local firefighters and EMTs that work just around the corner last Wed. (June 24th) Too bad he doesn't remember it.

Here's a play by play of the horrifying experience that we had. It all started around midnight. Cole was just having a rough time sleeping. He would wake fussing and go back to sleep after a little mommy snuggle. Then at 4 am he started crying and I found him in his crib and incredible hot. So I gave him tylenol and another snuggle and he went back to sleep. He slept until 8 and seemed to be pretty much back to normal.

We spent the morning running errands and playing while Zack slept. Cole seemed perfectly normal with the exception of a slightly runny nose. Around 11:30 he started to get pretty sluggish but I just accounted that to the rough night. He went down for a nap at 1pm and was up crying at 1:30. Snuggled and back down. I fell asleep on the couch and woke to his terrified screams at 3:10. I went him and he was sobbing into his mattress but screamed even more when I tried to move him. So I just rubbed his back expecting him to wake up. At this point he was burning hot even with the fan on him. I pulled the blanket off him and pulled up his shirt. I rubbed his back for 15 minutes and he moaned the whole time. Finally I just scooped him up hoping that would calm him. Instead he wailed and wailed all the while with his eyes closed. He was so loud that it woke Zack, who wears ear plugs. Neither of us could wake Cole. We stripped his clothes off and took him outside where it was cool but he just kept sleeping. So he slept in my arms for an hour and then another hour in Zack's. His temp was 101*.

At 5:30 he woke up like nothing had happened. His temp had dropped and he was rearing to play. Everything was normal until 7:20 as Zack was getting his stuff gathered for work. Cole was started to act clingy (he does that when Dad leaves so we didn't think much of it) and he was on my hip. He flipped the light switches on and off a couple times. Then all of a sudden he leaned away, looked and me and started seizing. The next while is a bit fuzzy but I dropped to my knees and held him on his side while screaming for Zack. Zack called 911 and was talking with the dispatcher when Cole stopped breathing and was turning a pale shade of blue. That's when I really started screaming and Zack whipped him out of my arms and went running out the front door. While talking to the dispatcher and running with Cole, Zack somehow managed to also yell for help to the EMT that lives across the street and who had his screen door open. I ran and banged on his door til he came running out. Zack had Cole on the lawn of the neighbors and kept yelling out things for me to do... go get some water, go get shoes, etc.. so you can go with the ambulance.

The firetrucks and ambulances arrived and Cole was immediately put on oxygen. He had started breathing on his own before they arrived. Zack held him while I talked to the EMT's. It was more like sobbed on the neighbor's shoulder trying to make a coherant sentence. They kept telling me that Cole had a febrile seizure and that it was common in kids and he'd be fine. At that point Cole's temp was back to 101* and they decided that he needed to get to the ER just to make sure he was fine. Zack stayed in the back while I rode up front, much to my protesting. Just after we started driving Cole started to become alert and started blurting out things like basketball and fruit snacks. That's when we knew that he was going to be fine. The ER took us in right away (sorry to everyone in the waiting room) and Cole was checked out. Apparently children of police officers get bumped up the line. In the 15 minutes from getting into the ambulance Cole's temp had jumped to 104*. They gave him tylenol and motrin so he was pretty out of things and was sleeping in our arms. By 9:30 he was cooled down enough that we were sent home. As soon as we got into the truck (our neighbors had followed the ambulance down in our truck so we could get home. They also locked up our house. It's so nice to have amazing neighbors.) and the music started playing Cole was clapping and dancing.

That night Cole slept in our room. He was so restless and anytime he moved Zack and I were up checking on him. We each slept maybe 30 minutes at a time. The next day we took him to see the pediatrician who again assured us that he was fine and febrile seizures happen in kids ages 6mo-5 yrs when their fevers rise too fast. Cole is at an increased risk to have more and they said that next time we can just wait it out and call the Dr when he's no longer seizing. Umm... I think I'll call 911 anyway. Cole's fever didn't totally go away until Friday morning.

Zack had 7 seizures as a kid and he turned out somewhat normal so I think that Cole will too. We've done a lot of research and are somewhat at ease with what we now know. But we are also a lot more cautious. The dr said that anytime he starts to feel warm that we need to pump the tylenol in him. Since we are concerned about him having one while in his crib he can no longer have more than 1 blanket. We also bought a video monitor because we're so paranoid that one of us gets up anytime he makes a noise in bed. The monitor was expensive but it is worth every penny if it gives us some peace of mind. After learning about all the symptoms and reactions we now believe that Cole had a seizure during his nap and that is why we couldn't wake him. He was very much like that after the seizure we did witness.

It was the most horrifying experience that I have ever had to deal with. I've never been more scared in my life. Both Zack and I thought that he was dying in our arms. He was so lifeless and so little laying in the grass while we could do nothing. It is an image that haunts me constantly. Zack was so afraid that Cole was dying and that is why he kept sending me into the house for things. He didn't want me to see that. Everynight since I am haunted with dreams of Cole being hurt or worse. And it didn't help when the opening song in church was "Familes Can be Together Forever" I started crying during it. I think I've broken down at least once a day since Wed. It's been the worst and longest week of my life.

But, Zack and I have so much to be thankful for. Cole is fine and healthy and amazing as always. He's so happy and resilient. Zack was just about to leave for work when the seizure happened. I don't know what I would have done if he had been gone. Zack has an amazing job that is so understanding and family oriented. His Sgt met us at the ER and assured us that things were fine. Another Sgt. called the next morning to check on us. Zack was able to take 3 days off with no questions asked to stay home with us. Our neighbors, family, and friends have shown such an outpouring of love and support that I don't know we quite deserve it. Even people that we hardly know from our street have brought us meals. So much could have gone a different way and the outcome could have been disastrous. But we are mending. Cole is pretty much his normal self but still recovering. He's still pretty tired but once he gets moving he's hyper as always. Zack and I are still tramatized but mending as well. We are lucky to have a strong marriage to help us through the scary and hard times. We are also blessed with an amazing boy for our son. We love him so much. And lastly, although I'm sure I've forgotten a few thing, we are thankful for the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without that knowledge I don't know how we could survive the trials in our lives.

Thank you to all for your love and support and to the EMT that came to our house the day after the incident to bring Cole a coloring book and fireman's hat. As you can see from the picture he loves it. The EMT, who was our neighbor, admitted that when he first saw Cole that he found a pulse but that it didn't look good to him. I'm so glad that he kept that info to himself the night before!