We all know how hot it can get outside in the summer. Every year, it’s the same warnings: Don’t leave your children in the car, don’t leave your dog outside in the heat, don’t forget to wear the right kind of sunscreen.
Summer is a fun time for everyone, but there are precautions to take in making sure fun days of sun stay safe.
That’s why a Canadian mother is urging parents this week to be cautious about the heat, even when their kiddos are INSIDE the house.
This comes just two weeks after her 3-year-old daughter suffered from indoor heatstroke, which could have taken her life.
Jenn Abma went to wake up her daughter, Anastasia, from her afternoon nap when the toddler would not wake up.
“I had a gut feeling something was wrong,” Jenn recalled. “I went upstairs and it was extremely hot. It was like a sauna in there. The curtains were closed and the windows were open and she was in the direction of the direct sun. Being that hot outside, even with the window open, it’s not circulation—it’s just heat.”
Anastasia was overheating in her bedroom, and suffering from heatstroke.
Jenn called 911, and EMS arrived immediately. When they reached Anastasia, her body temperature had reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and first responders immediately began to administer glucose liquid to raise her extremely low blood sugar.
The toddler woke 15 minutes after emergency crews were able to cool her down.
Jenn, who does not have air conditioning in her home, says the temperature in her area that day was 84 degrees. It was warm, but not having a cooling system had never been a problem until now.