Mom Left Heartbroken After A Balloon Kills Her Son Just Days Before His 1st Birthday

April 8th began as a regular day for Ashleigh Chapman and her eleven-month-old son Heath at their home in Mount Warrigal, South of Sydney. The mom and son had playful moments in the morning, after which Heath went into the kitchen to eat lunch. Hearing what she believe was a normal cough, the teenage mom assumed things were fine. 

11-Month-Old Heath choked to death on a balloon just days before his first birthday.

But on hearing a second sound and rushing to check up on Heath, Ashleigh found her baby boy unconscious on the ground, having choked on a balloon. When she saw her son, she couldn’t do anything but called triple-0 and Heath’s dad Jesse Mclean. The mom’s home soon got filled with paramedics and police. 

Ashleigh Chapman, pictured with husband Jessie McClean, had felt Heath had a normal cough, but she found her boy unconscious on the floor on hearing a second sound.

Doctors put in all efforts to revive Heath for about an hour, but he was eventually declared dead. Now, Ashleigh is heartbroken and asking herself how she would live without her son. “My world got taken away from me within minutes.” Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ashleigh added: “I didn’t know how quickly it could happen, and once a balloon is inhaled, it’s nearly impossible to remove it from someone’s windpipe without surgery.”

Doctors put in efforts to revive Health for about an hour, but he was declared dead.

“My world got taken away from me within minutes. “I didn’t know how quickly it could happen.”

Ashleigh desperately warns other parents, mainly as balloons are used for sensory activities, at carnivals, for making balloon animals, and party decorations. “I heard a cough. Just a normal cough. I let it slide. Then two or three minutes later, I heard another cough, like a struggle cough.” Ashleigh told 7 News. Speaking of her reaction when told her son was dead, she added: “I just dropped. I didn’t believe it. I said, “Don’t tell me that.” I broke down.” 

“I heard a cough. Just a normal cough. I let it slide. Then two or three minutes later, I heard another cough, like a struggle cough.”

Ashleigh admitted spending time with her son’s body after passing away but claims it didn’t sink in until she saw him motionless the following day. With a desire to properly take care of Heath while watching him grown into a man, this has indeed been cut, and now she is faced with funeral plans and decisions about urns. 

Ashleigh desperately warns other parents as balloons are used for sensory activity and party decorations.

Ashleigh largely blamed herself, especially as an autopsy revealed a balloon that wasn’t wholly deflated lodged in Heath’s windpipe.

Ashleigh largely blamed herself, especially as an autopsy revealed a balloon that wasn’t wholly deflated was lodged in Heath’s windpipe. She continued: “We decided to open them one day, and we blew them up. I’m kicking myself that they were there.”

So far, a GoFundMe has been launched by a family friend to help the family pay for the funeral.

Nonetheless, a GoFundMe has been launched by a family friend to help the family pay for the funeral. On the other hand, the devastated mom reveals she has since been flooded with messages from other moms, thanking her for bringing the dangers of balloons to their attention.