Her son, Rycker, was born with Down syndrome and several serious health problems that made his early life extremely fragile. From the very beginning, their journey was not easy. Before he was born, doctors discovered that he had heart defects and other complications that would require constant care and medical attention. She and her husband were scared, but they knew they wanted to be his parents and love him no matter what.
When Rycker was born, he weighed only 4 pounds, 9 ounces, and had to be taken to a special hospital to prepare him for heart surgery. That separation was one of the hardest experiences of her life. She had to recover from childbirth while worrying about her tiny baby surrounded by machines, tubes, and doctors whom she barely knew. Those early moments tested every part of her emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Finally, after several weeks in the hospital, they were allowed to take Rycker home. They cherished every moment, even though they knew life would still be unpredictable. They celebrated his smiles and milestones, but at the same time, they prayed for his strength. Every day was a mix of hope and fear, laughter and tears. She even started a blog to document our journey, hoping to help other families who might face similar challenges.
One afternoon that changed everything happened when Rycker was about five months old. He suddenly began crying, something he didn’t usually do that way. His face turned blue, and she knew something was terribly wrong. She tried holding him, comforting him, but then his breathing stopped. In that instant, his small body went completely limp in her arms. She felt fear like she had never known before. She tried to wake him, but there was no response. She felt helpless for a moment, but then her mind raced back to something important: CPR.
Months earlier, when Rycker was in the neonatal intensive care unit after birth, she had taken a CPR class. At the time, she thought it was just something helpful to know. She never imagined she would have to use it on her own child. But right then, she knew exactly what to do. She began doing chest compressions on him, pushing hard and fast on his tiny chest, just as she had learned. Those moments felt like an eternity, but she kept going, even though she was scared and shaking.
After what seemed like forever, she heard a sound that brought me to tears, a cry. Her baby was breathing again. He was blue and weak, but he was alive. By the time her husband and the police arrived at their home, Rycker was still crying and still fighting. We rushed him back to the Children’s Hospital, and although he was still fragile, she knew his life had been saved because she had acted.
Without that CPR class, she truly believes she would have lost her son that day. It was the hardest and most terrifying moment of her life, but it also showed her something powerful: basic CPR training can make the difference between life and death. Because of what happened, she felt a responsibility to share their story and encourage other parents to learn CPR. She began speaking openly about why she believes CPR should be mandatory for all parents before leaving the hospital with a newborn. It only takes about 30 minutes to learn the basics, and you never know when that knowledge could save a life, your child’s life. Since sharing their story on social media, thousands of people have reached out, many saying they want to learn CPR themselves or take a class because of what happened to them.
That response has been overwhelming and beautiful. Rycker continues to face health challenges and will likely need more medical care in the future. But he remains strong, surrounded by love, and full of life. Even through all the uncertainty, he still smiles every day. His courage inspires her more than she can ever express.
Their experience taught her that life can change in a single moment, and you never know when you might be called on to act. Learning CPR is not just a skill; it’s a gift of life. She hopes that by sharing their journey, more parents will be encouraged to learn CPR and feel confident to act in an emergency because no parent should ever have to hold their child’s lifeless body and wonder if they could have done something to help.
