All parents need to see heartbreaking video of my son – I’ll never forget the fear in his eyes
A BRAVE mum has shared a distressing video of her little boy in order to warn other parents of the dangers of croup.
Little Tanner had only just gone to bed when he staggered out of his bedroom “gasping for air”.
The worried mum said he was making a sound she “won’t ever forget”.
Tanner was experiencing a bout of croup, an infection of the airways common in babies and children.
“The fear in his eyes as every breath he took was heightened by stress,” she wrote in a post explaining the ordeal.
Tiny Hearts Education Instagram, run by first aider Nikki and her sister, Rachel, shared a video of the youngster to help other parents.
In an attempt to slow his breathing, Tanner’s parents gave him his asthma pump and a drink, but nothing worked.
“I lifted his top up to observe his chest and then it hit me, we had an emergency,” his mum said.
In the video, young Tanner can be seen struggling to breathe while his chest moves violently up and down.
“The noises he begun to make were horrendous, I was scared for his life,” she explained.
Children with croup have a distinctive barking cough and will make a harsh sound, known as stridor, when they breathe in, according to the NHS.
They may also have a hoarse voice and find it difficult to breathe because their airway is blocked.
As Tanner’s breathing got worse he started to grow pale and his lips turned blue – a typical sign of oxygen deprivation.
Paramedics who rushed to the scene treated the little boy in the driveway.
The medics told Tanner’s mum they had never seen a child in such respiratory distress.
The 4 signs of croup
These are the signs of croup to look out for:
- a barking cough that sounds like a seal (you can search online to hear examples)
- a hoarse voice
- difficulty breathing
- a rasping sound when breathing in
Your little one will usually have cold-like symptoms to begin with, such as a temperature, runny nose and cough.
Croup symptoms usually come on after a few days and are often worse at night.
If you’re worried or you think you’re child is getting worse call NHS 111.
Occasionally, your child may be referred to hospital if they’re more seriously ill or they’re under the age of 3 months.