Alicia's story

My friend, Alicia, sent me her recount of what happened to Ryker. She is the one who called 911 and took care of that end of business. It also has a lot of detail and information that I didn't remember. This was written to me as her best memory of what happened so when she is citing "you" she is speaking to me and "I" is Alicia.

It is really interesting because it gives another point of view and also tells what happened on the 911 call.

I remember having a good afternoon, and the whole determining that board did not work, for some reason i thought we had told them it did not work, but maybe that was just our conversation. Anyway, They were all playing on the steps, Kam on the top one, baby in water, Seth standing on one of the lower ones and I thought Ryker was on the second one or maybe first with Kam. We were playing and talking facing the kids, when I looked and saw Ryker floating next to the railing, at that same moment Seth pulled on the back of his head (hair) and said "Hey, Ryker, are you okay?"... "Mom!"

I think I went into shock at this point, because my mouth opened and eyes got big, you swam over there, and pulled him out, I swam with you and said Oh my god, is he okay? Which seems like a stupid question now, I was just hoping he was okay. I looked at his face, it was blue and gray and was losing all normal color. You said no he's not, started screaming Ryker, Ryker wake up slapped his face then started CPR, I ran and got my phone called 911, I remember the first few sentences I could not talk just need ambulance, he's not breathing or heartbeat, He drown, we need help, she was asking me all these really specific questions, like what EXACTLY happened, how old he was, where exactly we were, i just told her at a pool east of redwood and 3100 south. I swear she asked me that like five times. All i could tell her is i don't know we were playing in the pool he was face down his brother asked if he was okay, he's not breathing! I'm kneeling next to him. she asked me if there was an ADD or AFD something like that, i repeated it she told me what it stood for, i looked up and around (I'm assuming something to help with the breathing) told her no, then got up to look for a CPR kit, all the while you're still SCREAMING for help and doing breaths. I just kept thinking oh dear god, he's dead, he's dead, please please just let him come back, he's only 5, my friend, she needs help just let him be breathing when i get back.

i really did know he was dead in that moment and just said a prayer because i did not know what else to do, we were doing all that we could and we needed something larger than life to help. Then of course I come back and he's not breathin. STILL. I looked down at my hand and I am shaking like I've never shook before trying to hold that phone. that other girl came over and was playing with the girls kinda watching them.... then the dispatcher told me i needed to get the exact address so I went out again looked at the street sign and told her, she kept asking if we were at a county pool, i kept saying no! we're at a pool in a neighborhood (it was kinda frustrating the questions she kept asking me but maybe I wasn't really making sense now that i think about it because I was having a hard time talking). I came back and he had a heartbeat but was not breathing, finally he started breathing and making those gurgling noises then i followed what the lady on the phone told me do... listen for breathing, look at his chest, turn him to the side, make sure he doesn't have any throw up in his mouth, then open his air ways by putting one hand on the back of his neck and one hand on his head and telling her every time he took a breath. then asked if he was responding, he just kept barely opening and closing his eyes, I think right before then was when we heard sirens. They took him in the ambulance and we basically packed up the stuff and went.

I got your girls out of the pool and asked Seth to help us put away stuff he says to me "I thought we were going to stay and swim more, we aren't going to swim?" haha, I also remember him saying, "He better be okay because he's my brother, I'm his big brother" that was while he was still not breathing and I almost started to cry. Anyway, he was a very brave little guy, letting me in and out when I needed, trying to help you, and he didn't panic, he saved his brothers life, none of your kids even cried. And you were amazing. Seriously, maybe it's just mother's instinct but you acted fast and were reasonably calm for the situation. This was by far the scariest day of my life. like I said I've dealt with people passing out or not breathing stuff like that when i worked at the shelter, but it's so different when it's a child, and your friends child. Man my heart and blood has never pumped that fast, it seemed like every second was a minute because he wasn't breathing but at the same time, it seemed like it all happened so fast. I can only imagine what you were feeling was 100X worse.
Then I got home and my husband discovered I had a huge goose egg from hitting my head lol.
Anyway, you did good. I'm glad there was two of us there because that would've been hard doing cpr and trying to talk to someone at the same time.

I just keep thinking, how did neither one of us see him if we were watching them you know? when i saw his head next to the hand railing i was scared he might hit it. crazy. and i've had nightmares all weekend of him drowning and the whole thing.

I'd like to add one more thing to the story.... when we were loading up the van you asked me to call joe and i looked at you and said are you sure you want him to get this call from me (i was terrified of telling him) and you said just call and ask him where he's at and tell him i'm coming to get him. I'm grateful he didn't answer at that time lol....

The scariest day of my life.

Please read this story to know that no matter how close you are or how vigilant you are, accidents still happen.

On Friday, July 15, Ryker nearly drown in a community swimming pool.

I was swimming with my 4 kids at a community swimming pool with a good friend of mine just having a wonderful afternoon when it all took a turn for the worse. Ryker (who was out of the pool) and I (who was in the pool) had just been tossing some water wings back and forth when he decided to go sit on the stairs with his sister. He had on a float ring which he passed on to his older brother knowing that he was going to be on the stairs. I was driving Natalie around in the deep end in her floatie when Seth yelled to me, "Mom, look Ryker can float."

As I turned around and saw Ryker face down in the water Seth immediately yelled that something was wrong. I quickly swam over to Ryker (he was about 10-12 feet away) and pulled him out of the water. His lips were blue, his skin gray, and his eyes non-responsive.

I quickly gave him 4 breaths and started to scream for help. My good friend called 911 as I checked for a pulse and found he did not have one. I started chest compressions and breathing to try and revive my little 5 year old boy. Seth was very helpful and even offered to do the chest compressions for me (even though he had no idea what I was doing). A young woman who was also at the pool came to the rescue of my little girls and watched over them while this all transpired. Several other people then arrived and were also calling 911 and doing the best they could to help with the situation.

I continued CPR while my friend was on the phone with 911 dispatch. Ryker threw up after a couple minutes but was still not revived. After 3 minutes of CPR I felt his heart start back up right underneath my palms and it felt like a hammer pounding inside his chest. At this point I just continued to breathe for him. After 5 minutes he started to attempt his own breaths with a quick suck in and an exhale gurgle. According to the dispatch, this was a good sign. Seth let us know that the ambulance was approaching because he could hear the sirens. My friend also hit her head really good during this process though she does not remember. The proof showed itself via a goose egg on her head.

After 6 minutes (according to the 911 call) West Valley Fire Department paramedics arrived at the scene. They loaded him into the ambulance and resumed the rescue work. They got information from me and then headed to Primary Children's hospital. I was to follow behind in my car with my 3 other children.

I know I was wild eyed, frantic, and panicking. One of the firemen grabbed me by my face and looked me straight in the eyes and explained that I was to head to the hospital in an orderly fashion and not to drive crazy because Ryker was in the good care of the paramedics. He was talking very slowly so as to calm me down.

My friend helped me load my kids and swimming stuff in the car and off we went. At this point I called Joe. Didn't get an answer. Dropped my friend of at her house with a reassurance that I would call her with updates.

I call Joe. Didn't get an answer. Now I am yelling, "Answer your fucking phone!" Yes, in the presence of my children.

I text Joe - 911. I am on my way to get you.

His response - k

...He missed the 911 part of the text.

I call him again and he answers this time. I tell him that Ryker has drown in the pool and is on his way to the hospital and I'm coming to pick him up. Joe starts to panic at this point and starts getting a panic attack. (I now realize that I should have said "nearly drown" because Joe thought he was dead at my initial phone call.)

I'm driving as fast as I can but, as you can imagine, the stoplights are taking forever and everyone is driving slow in front of me.

I pick up Joe and have realized that I am in a bit of shock. My body is tingly and I have a hard time telling him what happened or even forming complete sentences. I was just focused on getting to the hospital in a safe manner. I really don't remember what all was said during the car ride. I just could not believe what was happening.

We arrive at the hospital a little after 1:00 in the afternoon where Ryker is stable and recognizes us. "Thank God" just keeps running over and over in my head. I was so glad to see his face, rosy from the warmth of the warming blankets and i.v. solution. His eyes still sleepy looking but not vacant. He is on high flow oxygen and breathing it in as he should. But, we are assured that he is still not out of the water (no pun intended).

His lungs were full of water and also vomit. His body temp still low. His belly full of air. And his breathing very labored and rough. He also continues to cough and cough and is plagued with nausea.

The e.r. team updates us on what transpired in the ambulance and his current status. They say he will be o.k. but will be in the hospital for at least 24 hours. It will all depend on his recovery progress. We are joined in the e.r. by Uncle Steve, Aunt Tahna, Uncle Brett, and Grandma Utahna.

Grandma Utahna takes the other kids home to watch them for the night and leaves us to give all of our attention to our sick little guy.

Ryker is given medicine for the nausea and moved into the PICU. We arrive in the ICU at about 5:15 in the afternoon. He sleeps for a while and Uncle Brett gives him a blessing. Shortly afterwards Ryker wakes up and gives us his account of what happened...

"I went to use Seth's kick board but it didn't work. I went under the water and came back up and then went under again. I drank a lot of water."

He later also said he was yelling "MOM" under the water but I just couldn't hear him. This statement made me sick to my stomach. I was just right there and didn't see him go under and didn't hear him.

I told him that Seth saved his life by noticing that he was under water and Ryker replied, "but you pulled me out of the pool."

Brett, Joe and I exchange looks....he was most likely watching from somewhere else because my child was dead when I pulled him out of the water. That must have been the exact moment where God intervened.

Now, here is the pre-story.

I was aware of Seth's kick board not working. When we first arrived at the pool I opened the kick boards I had just purchased for Seth and Ryker. Seth took his and stepped into the shallow end of the pool and was going to practice what he had learned in swimming lessons that morning. As he went to float on it, the board didn't float. He told me that it didn't work and I just thought that he didn't know how to use it. When I got into the pool my friend and I took the kick boards and determined that Seth's board did not work. Ryker's was fine but Seth's was like a bag of rice when it was lifted out of the water and didn't keep you afloat. Knowing this, I threw the kick board over by our towels and stuff at the side of the pool. Ryker was not informed that the board didn't work and when he went to sit on the stairs with Kamryn he grabbed the kick board to practice with it in the shallow end. When he stepped of the bottom stair hugging the board he expected it to keep him afloat and it did not. He then slipped under the water....

After a terrifying night in the hospital Ryker improved dramatically. He slept well and woke up in the morning looking much better. He was taken of his oxygen around 11 am and was eating clear liquids and jello by lunchtime. After getting the liquids in him he perked right up. We were drawing and playing games and having a good time. The doctors took another xray which still showed fluid in the lungs but no signs of infection.

Due to his speedy recovery they discharged him at 5:30 p.m. and sent us home. They informed us to watch for any labored breathing and/or fever but he should just continue to get better.

I could never be more grateful for my son than on this day.

Special thanks to Alicia Dye, West Valley City Fire Department, the E.R. and PICU staff at Primary Children's Hospital, the many youth groups who have donated fleece blankets and underwear to the hospital, Uncle Brett, and Grandma Utahna.

Just remember, it only takes a few seconds....

Yesterday I poured the last bottle of formula for my little Nat. She is growing up so fast. There are a lot of changes when a baby turns one. You get rid of a lot of little baby gear (car seat, binkie, bottle, etc.). It is a huge mommy milestone and it is kind of sad.

On a good note, my nephew has a new baby today. Congrats Steve and Shandi!

full time

I have applied to work full time at the post office and it is now coming up on the interview time and I'm scared to death. I have a good feeling about getting it and think that I have a good chance of getting a career position. However, I am a little scared to death. I am afraid that I will be even more stressed out because I won't have the time I have at home to accomplish all that I do. I'm afraid that sitting for 8 hours a day will encourage my ass and gut to increase in size. I'm afraid that after paying daycare the extra hours and money will not be worth it. There are so many unknowns. I also like my freedoms that I enjoy now and hope that having those restricted will not make me resent my job. As it stands, I really like my job. It is relaxing and a nice break from everything and everyone. There isn't anyone breathing down my neck all the time. I just show up, work, and go home. It's nice. So, a full time shift will either be 40 hours of bliss each week or so unbearable that I will hate it....

I guess we'll see what happens before I start complaining. I should be excited right? It will mean a $2.60 raise plus it is 20 more hours per week than i am working now.

Help me see some positive so that I may be able to ride this out.

first birthdays

Today my youngest baby turned 1. It was an interesting time because it is the last first birthday we will celebrate (until we have grandchildren that is). It also embarks upon a new chapter in parenthood. I am officially the parent of toddlers and school children. no more babies. It is bittersweet in that it will be nice to no longer do all the "baby" responsibilities and finally rid my house of the baby gear but at the same time it is sad that I have moved past child bearing.

I guess I have to focus on child rearing from now on.

Happy Birthday Natalie!