In “one of the most tragic of accidents,” the mother of the 8-year-old who died at his birthday party is pleading with other parents not to purchase this common decoration.
Bright-eyed and full of hopes, 8-year-old Joshua Dunbar had just celebrated his birthday. Balloons, party hats, and all the small pleasures that accompany growing older were everywhere in the house. But tragedy struck in the most unthinkable way just hours after the laughter subsided.
“It was his time.”
Joshua was discovered lifeless and alone in his bedroom on April 27, 2024. Over his head was a huge helium balloon in the shape of an eight, which was intended to commemorate his milestone birthday.
Joshua’s tiny heart could not be revived, despite the desperate attempts of his family and the paramedics who hurried him to the hospital.
It was utterly traumatizing. It cannot be removed from your thoughts. It’s all you see and hear when you close your eyes. You can hear the sirens, the yells, and the screams. You hear the doctor express their sincere apologies to you. His mother Carly informed the Mirror that it was time for him.
Then I simply recall taking his hand. I told him, “Son, if your angel wings are there and you’re ready to take them, then take them.” Dad and I both held his hand. Your parents are here and will be by your side no matter what. Regarding her son, who she described as “one of a kind with the brightest blue eyes and the cheekiest smile,” the distraught mother remarked, “If you’re ready to go, son, you just go in peace.”
He literally vanished in a matter of minutes. He seemed to be waiting for his father and me to give him the all-clear. I will never be able to forget or delete these visions.
Suffocation
The coroner confirmed that Joshua’s cause of death was “consistent with asphyxia involving a helium balloon” at an inquest into his passing.
Coroner Andre Rebello told the Liverpool Echo that although helium isn’t dangerous in and of itself, the gas had taken the place of the oxygen Joshua needed to breathe.
“Helium breathing stopped oxygen from entering his body, and life is impossible without oxygen in just a few minutes.” Because it began as a celebration, this was a really devastating day.
Rebello went on to say, “Anyone with a heart would speculate as to what he was doing,” calling it “one of the most tragic of accidents.” He might have been trying to watch the helium passing over his vocal cords to alter his sound, or he might not have realized that the balloon was empty of air. I’m not sure. No one is aware.
He continued by adding that the death of a kid is a “parent’s worst nightmare” and that “he was a little boy in his room playing, and tragically it had fatal consequences.”
“Adhere to air-filled balloons.”
Carly took to social media to advocate for a ban on balloons filled with helium, just days after her little child passed away.
“The anguish of losing a child and a wounded heart have no remedy. According to the Daily Mail, she posted on Facebook, “Please believe me when I say do not buy your children helium balloons.” Since then, I’ve been hating myself for purchasing the balloon that killed our son, and I would never wish this horror on any other child or family! Continue using balloons filled with air.
“With all my heart, I would never want another child to die or another family to experience what we do on a daily basis.”
Carly is determined to turn her family’s pain into a message that can save lives, urging others to shield their kids from the hidden risks she never anticipated. She hopes that Joshua’s tragic loss won’t be in vain.
“It’s simply agony, and it doesn’t really get any easier. One child death can be avoided if one, two, or three individuals pause, consider what I’m saying, and decide not to purchase a helium balloon.
Stopping the purchase of helium balloons is the only way to stop it from occurring to another youngster, she continues. The air ones seem just as good, so just get them.
Therefore, the next time you’re organizing a party, reconsider using floating decorations to fill the air.
