A 7-year-old girl was killed by her own birthday balloons earlier this month.
Alexandra Hope Kelly, of Clinton, Tennessee, was suffocated by a large number '7' balloon used during her birthday celebration one week prior, her mother, Channa Kelly, revealed in a Facebook post shared on Monday (October 10) warning other parents of similar dangers.
"For her birthday party, on September 24, I bought a large 34 inch rainbow Mylar number 7 balloon inflated with helium, as seen below, along with approximately 10 Roblox themed latex balloons," Channa wrote. "As a parent I was always aware of the choking hazard of latex balloons, but never imagined that there was such a risk regarding these very large Mylar helium filled balloons.
"A week after her birthday party, I sat with her as she popped all of her latex balloons. Alex asked if she could pop her large 7 balloon and I said that was fine. I would have never imagined that she would have been able to fit this balloon over her head. I went to my bedroom unaware of any dangers with this type of balloon. I fell asleep briefly and when I woke up I found my daughter face down on the living room floor where I had left her."
Channa said she removed the balloon, called 911 and immediately attempted to perform CPR on her daughter before emergency personnel arrived at the scene.
“They worked tirelessly to try to bring her back but their attempts to revive her were unsuccessful,” she said. “I cried hysterically and was in utter shock and disbelief of what had just occurred, that my daughter and only child was actually gone.”
Channa said her daughter's cause of death has yet to be officially determined as she was told an ongoing autopsy performed by the medical examiner "could take up to four to six months."
"I hope by sharing our story that I can bring awareness and educate parents about the dangers of not only latex balloons but also Mylar balloons," she added. "I hope and pray that this will prevent and save the life of other children. I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience the pain and devastation that the loss of a child brings."