We nearly lost Amira to choking last night, and we're still shaken up
about it. She is fine now, but we really thought she was going to die.
She choked, entered into hypoxia and then a seizure. Rich knows what
the stages of hypoxia are, though, and he said when he started CPR it
looked like she was about 45 seconds into it. The only question we had
was whether she had a seizure which sent her into the choking and
hypoxia or if it was the choking which caused the hypoxia and seizure.
Fortunately, it was the latter.

I was hysterical at first, but pulled it together enough to talk to
911, who our kids' godfather called for us, the boys were all at the
table and saw it happen, Elijah ran from the table in fear after his
dad took her up to the airport office to meet the paramedics.
Alexander is still really shaken up. I am extremely thankful to our
godson who saw it and told us right away, we would have lost much more
time, because we were trying to get the last of a late dinner put
together and on the table for the kids, and the adults were all in the
kitchen. We sent Matt out, because he is about 13, and we knew he
could keep an eye on the kids, and we are grateful for him.

She resuscitated in the van on the way to the office, on her own, and
they say that there doesn't appear to be any damage to her heart or
brain. She is cheerful today and being her normal friendly self. They
took her and Rich to the hospital in the ambulance, and Arthur followed
in our van with the carseat, with an extra set of clothes for her, some
food for Rich and her soft doll. The did some tests, checked her throat
and gave her some apple juice, both to hydrate her and for the pectin
for her throat.

She is understandably exhausted today. The doctors said that a
seizure like that is like running a mile sprint, only in the 45 seconds
or whatever it takes. We had her sleep in our room last night, for our
sake more than hers, and she woke up early this morning, at 5:00 am, and
never was I so thrilled to be kept awake by her. She was very thirsty
and hungry, as she only had about two bites of food before she choked,
and the apple juice at the hospital, so I gave her some water, and she
fell asleep again. When she woke up, I had fallen asleep again, and I
woke to her pulling on my toes, her little crib was at the foot of our
bed, and my feet were out of the covers. Rich made hard boiled
eggs, which are her favorite things, and she had a good appetite.

When I saw her blue and non-responsive, I was terrified. In fact, we
never saw her recover, and we didn't think Rich's CPR had done anything
to her, because she still wasn't breathing and she was limp and blue
when he left with her, but evidently he did dislodge the food, and
keeping her upside down kept it from going down the wrong pipe again, so
that was why she came out of it. I am so thankful. We are taking it
very slow and easy today. I haven't been so afraid in a long time, and
I don't think so gut wrenchingly so - even when we were terrified for
Elijah it was fear of the risk of what might or could happen, I saw her
and thought she was going to die, that we were going to lose her right
there, in front of our other children. Rich had to tell me to back off
and get out of the way, because I saw her and screamed.

All of the boys got to see her before bed and kiss her goodnight,
except for Elijah, and he was upstairs with Alexander sad and saying
that Amira had died. Alexander got us and we went and reassured him
that she was alive and sleeping in our room with us, and he wanted to
go sleep with her to comfort her. Even I who knew she was alright had
nightmares about it, that she was home and fine, and had her first meal
and choked again and we couldn't do anything about it. So, I'm still
pulling it together today and giving glory to God for his work in her.
It was such a blessing to have her to cuddle with this morning, and to
hear her laugh and see her smile.

The boys and I prayed together immediately after Rich and Arthur
left, which calmed us all down a bit. Rich was wonderful in how he took
care of Amira and comforting me when he checked in from the hospital.
The first passage of scripture I turned to in my Bible just flipping it
over was Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My
help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not
let your foot be moved, and he who watches over you will not fall
asleep. Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber
nor sleep; the LORD himself watches over you; the LORD is your shade at
your right hand, so that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the
moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; it is he who
shall keep you safe. The LORD shall watch over your going out and your
coming in, from this time forth for evermore.

The ambulance driver told Rich he had probably saved Amira's life,
and Rich said he knew that it was Someone else who did it.

Regards,
Ranee

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"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

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