This is dedicated to Mark & Christi Brown in honor of their son, Judah, who was taken Home at a young age of three years old. I will be attaching a video they have made at the bottom of this article which is a very important warning for anyone with a young child in their life. Before I do so, I will share some personal events which is why their story caught my attention.
Years ago, my then husband and myself were at a hotel pool with our adopted son who was about three at that time. No one else was there. Our son was simply walking around the pool and we were keeping an eye on him as we talked. Just for a moment, we had looked away for whatever reason, and we suddenly heard a ‘Splash!’. We turned back and saw that our three year old had fallen into the pool. Thankfully, my then husband immediately dove in and was able to yank him out before he drowned.
Some years later, perhaps five, I was bathing my 3rd newborn naturally born son. I was kneeling on the bathroom floor caressing his little head in my hand in his little baby tub. The other three boys were wreaking havoc running up and down the hallway yelling and playing as young boys often do. As they ran past me just two-three feet away, I yelled at them to settle down and when I looked back at my newborn, I discovered that unknowingly I turned my hand as I had leaned forward to yell at the others. My baby’s face was partly under the two inches of water in his tub. His eyes were closed and he wouldn’t respond. I screamed for the boys to call 911. I kept trying to wake up my baby but couldn’t. I was in a terrible state of panic. It was a terrifying moment. The paramedics did arrive quickly and examined him. Again, the worst was thwarted. This little bugger had simply fallen into a deep sleep and he was fine.
When my twenty year old who passed away was only two years old, his dad and I began to share a fear both of us had been carrying for some reason, but never spoke about. For whatever reason, we both feared that he would one day drown. We never had such fears for any of our other children and we were both somewhat astounded that we both had the same fear for the same child. We never discussed this again, however, I made sure all my children had swimming lessons and wore swimming floats for many years. No, they didn’t like it much as they were often the only children at pools and lakes who had to wear such items. But if they wanted to go swimming, they had to wear them…Mom’s rule.
A couple of days after my son was killed, my new husband and myself along with my ex-husband and his wife had to go to the coroner’s for ‘the viewing’. I will resist side-tracking and expressing how excruciating this was. After ‘the viewing’, the four of us were directed into the small waiting room to speak with the coroner. It was at that time that we were told officially that although my son was killed by his best friend driving drunk, my son had died of ‘Asphyxiation’. Without thought, both my ex and myself simultaneously jumped off our chairs startling the others and asked simultaneously: “Is that like drowning???”. It took the coroner a few moments to respond because of the way we startled him and were now both standing over him. When he finally spoke, he said: “Well…Yes”. Because the vehicle in which he was riding was flipped over and my son was trapped between the dashboard and the windshield, he died. His ‘best friend’ who was driving drunk walked away with only a few scratches.
The man at the morgue’s front desk called me over after the coroner had left. He told me that in such cases, my son would not have suffered longer than four minutes…Four minutes of hell is hell!!! I know the man was making a sincere attempt at comforting me…but my son was dead so it didn’t. However, I do appreciate his effort.
Personally, because I suffer from low oxygen levels and stop breathing at night, I realize I may go this way, as well. Thankfully, since they have placed me on oxygen at night, I have only had two such episodes and they were mild in comparison to the ones I suffered from for two decades. I have also experienced three near drowning experiences… one in the ocean, one in a river, and one in a pool.
Mark & Christi’s little Judah drowned, which essentially is one of the causes of ‘Asphyxiation’. They have in the midst of their great pain and grief created this video to warn others of the dangers of water. They want to spread the word to raise awareness. I was not asked to do this, but wanted to pass it on to assist them in warning others of the dangers of being around water. Perhaps, knowing some of these things will save a child’s life.
(((HUGS))) Jude Gibbs, Author of ‘Gifts from the Ashes’ available at: Xulon Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and DeeperShopping. Additional international retailers: http://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/biography/gifts-from-the-ashes,jude-gibbs-9781498496728 http://www.upliftvstore.com/product.asp?sku=9781498496728 Also, a Contributor on ‘The Mighty’: https://themighty.com/author/jude-gibbs/
Also, see a more complete list at: http://www.directtextbook.com/isbn/9781498496728?geis=y Please help spread the Word. TY! (((HUGS)))
Bereaved Parents 