Children bring so much joy to the world.
Their beauty and innocence never fail to touch people’s hearts. That is why it is incredibly sad when a child dies. When we think of the fact that they had their whole lives in front of them we can’t help but be heartbroken.
We feel as though they did not get their chance to experience life. What offers some comfort to parents whose children die at tender ages is that their lives can make a difference and their deaths can be used to teach other and even help save the lives of other children in the world.
This is what transpired in the case of Miranda Grace Lawson. Miranda was just a toddler enjoying a party when she happened to choke on a popcorn kernel.
[rsnippet id=”4″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_1″]
That party ended in the most terrible way, with Miranda in the hospital and on life support. Unfortunately, she died six months after this in early November 2016. Her death which resulted from a tragic accident was so agonizing for her family.
But her parents, Pat and Alison, have decided to honor her memory by sharing her story in the hope that it will help increase awareness about the choking hazards that are in our everyday environment. They hope sharing her story will help save a child’s life and spare another family the anguish they had to go through.
A single piece of popcorn snuffed out their little baby’s life and they do not want any other family to experience that. They want their little daughter’s life to make a difference in the world, especially in the life of another child.
After the unfortunate incident where Miranda choked on the piece of popcorn, the little girl ended up in the hospital for 6 months. It was a time when her parents tried everything for her to survive. But their efforts came to naught as she passed away that November.
That fateful day, her mother, Alison, had been celebrating her birthday. She had gathered all her children plus her husband together for the joyous occasion at their home. They were all having fun celebrating her when things took a tragic turn.
They could not imagine the part would turn into their worst nightmare. What began as a happy day ended with a little girl being rushed off to the hospital. The GoFundMe page created by the Lawsons’ niece, Bobbie Jo Cordie, explains the events of that terrible night.
[rsnippet id=”5″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_2″]
She writes that the birthday festivities were drawing coming to an end when they all realized that something was not right. When they saw Miranda they knew that something had gone terribly wrong.
She explains that at the end of Alison’s birthday, Miranda ran into the living room with her eyes huge, and no sound. Time seemed to stop. Those were the last moments they shared before Miranda fell to the ground; they swept her mouth, nothing; Pat started CPR to try and revive the child. By the time the ambulance got there, Miranda’s heart stopped. Everyone at the party was shocked and lost for words.
The emergency paramedics took her away. On the way to the hospital, they managed to get the little girl’s heart beating again. Though there was nothing in her mouth, it was discovered that a piece of popcorn was lodged deep in her windpipe. It had cut off her air supply. Her family had no idea of the extent of the damage that had already happened to their little girl.
When they arrived at the hospital, Miranda was put on ventilators. Her family hoped and prayed her to make it through. Doctors performed the Brain Death test on her. They found out that Miranda’s body was still alive, but she was no more. As per the protocol, the hospital planned to take her off of life support but her parents would not let it happen.
They were not ready to let go of their baby girl. They still held on to hope, as any parent would, and decided to fight to give her more time. They wanted to explore each and every possible solution. They were desperate for their young child. Miranda’s family took to the court to find a way. They brought their fight to the Virginia court system, pleading for their daughter to have any chance, however small, to recover from the tragedy.
[rsnippet id=”6″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_3″]
It was a long and draining fight and the Lawsons ended up footing a $30,000 bill to bring their case to the State Supreme Court. These parents would not give up until they exhausted all the legal options. As they went on like this, little Miranda was still on life support.
Six months had passed and there was absolutely no change. Doctors knew her case had no hope but her parents kept fighting for her. One of the nurses who tended to Miranda decided to make a sweet note with her footprint for the parents. She knew how sad and crushed they were and hoped the note would bring them a little comfort, As it happened, the court never had to make a decision on the case because little Miranda died on her own in November. The case was then rendered mute.
Her loving parents had fought long and hard for her. But her health had progressively gotten worse day after day. Her family was not ready to let her go but they had no choice. They were heartbroken but it was time for their baby girl to go.
All they wish for is that her death makes a difference in the world. We can all honor their daughter’s memory and her short but wonderful life by raising awareness about choking hazards. We must also be vigilant so as to keep our children safe. All children deserve the very best. Cordie has rightly surmised that the tragic death was caused by a piece of popcorn. (Please SHARE the danger of popcorn, so more people can be informed)