Many popular trends and fads catch the eyes of our children and immediately, they want them. From fashionable outfits to popular toys, we’re no strangers to kids always wanting what is trending on store shelves .
However, sometimes, we do not know or notice some of the most popular toys and trends can leave our kids in compromising and dangerous situations. Take it from this one dad, now issuing a PSA to all parents after his daughter encountered a scary situation.
The dad shared the story of his two daughters who love mermaids.
Adam Lisberg shared on Twitter that his two daughters, Annabelle and Ruby, absolutely love mermaids. They decided that in July 2020, they’d get an inflatable pool for the girls because, well, Covid-19 prevented many of us from going places at that point in time.
To go along with their new pool, they got the girls new swimsuits, too.
As the daughters love mermaids, Adam and his wife got them two mermaid bathing suits to wear in the pool. The bathing suits came with a matching tail that they could wear as their swim bottom.
The dad then shared photos of the pool, as well.
The pool was relatively shallow, and it was small enough that the inflatable pool could fit in the driveway. Adam shared the water was “only up to Annabelle’s legs,” in terms of water height.
However, he warned no matter how much you watch kids, things can go wrong.
Which, obviously, is every parent’s absolute worst nightmare. All we want to do is to keep our kids safe.
One day, the two girls were swimming when the unthinkable happened.
Adam shared he was in the kitchen overlooking the pool, with the window open so he could hear them.
But hearing them was not enough.
Then, Ruby—his older daughter—came into the house and said that “Annabelle was underwater and wasn’t moving.”
Ruby had pulled Annabelle out of the pool.
Adam could see his daughter from the window, laying in the driveway not moving. Her arms were inside of the mermaid’s tail and she was stiff as a board. He immediately ran outside. His daughter’s eyes were wide open but lifeless. He thought she was dead—but, she began coughing.
Adam put his daughter over his leg and smacked her back.
Water, mucus, and puke came up. He then called 911. His daughter could barely form words. But, the story has it that Annabelle put her arms inside of the mermaid tail to play “potato” and went underwater.
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However, she couldn’t get her arms out to get up from the water—they were stuck inside the mermaid’s tail.
Which must have been so terrifying for both daughters. I can’t imagine how it must have been to go through that.
Fortunately, Ruby—her sister—acted quickly.
As scary as it is to see your little sister drowning, Ruby acted quickly and Adam said she saved her sister’s life by pulling her out of the water.
She was a true hero who acted in the face of chaos and fear.
Annabelle had to spend two days in the pediatric ICU.
Due to the danger of infection when water gets into the lungs, Annabelle spent two days in the pediatric ICU. She spiked a fever and had to be monitored closely as well, due to the incident in the pool.
For almost an entire day, her pulse was severely elevated.
Clearly, this is scary for any parent to have to watch their child go through this, especially due to something like a small inflatable pool and a bathing suit that was purchased with good intentions.
Fortunately, Annabelle made a full recovery.
Adam shared that after two full days in the hospital, Annabelle returned home and was her giggly and bubbly self. However, Adam and his wife now made a rule to avoid mermaid bathing suits moving forward to prevent this kind of scare.
He also shared that he hopes people are “haunted” by his daughter’s story.
Adam said he hopes the story “haunts” other parents so that they do not take their children’s safety for granted, and really pay attention to what they buy.
And, maybe other parents will also rethink getting a mermaid tail for their child this summer in the pool.
We’re just happy to know that his girl is safe and sound, and that she has a quick-thinking sibling.
