A mom has shared a heartbreaking warning to all parents who sleep on a different floor to their children.
Keri Hall Volmert unknowingly put her daughter, Sammie Joyce, to sleep for the last time on February 28, 2016, and she is sharing the tragic tale of what happened next in a bid to stop it from happening to anyone else.
The next morning, she heard the "desperation and screeching panic" in her husband's voice as he called her name from their daughter's room.
Sammie Joyce was pronounced dead after emergency room doctors were unable to revive her.
The family has now created a Facebook page to pay tribute to Sammie Joyce Volmert, and to raise awareness of the 17-month-old's story among other parents.
The late toddler was put in danger in a very subtle way that most parents might not think of: She slept on a different floor to her parents.
Recounting what happened on Facebook, Keri wrote: "On February 28, 2016, I changed my precious baby into her tiny nightgown, wiped her snotty little nose, walked through the living room with her in my arms as she proudly said 'night night' to her Daddy and big brother.
"I carried her up the stairs and placed her down in her beautiful crib that was made for a princess. She cried a little bit, and I walked out of the room knowing she would be asleep within two minutes as she always was.
"I never would have imagined that would be the last time I would see her alive."
Keri continued: "The desperation and screeching panic in my husband's voice the next morning as he went to retrieve her from upstairs is something I will never forget.
"I was in the kitchen making coffee and as soon as he screamed 'Keri' I knew something was terribly wrong. I froze and he yelled my name again as he ran down the upstairs hallway. 'I think Sammie is dead.'
"I met him as he rushed down the stairs carrying our precious angel who just hours before had been so feisty and full of life. Attempts to resuscitate her did not work and she was pronounced dead fifty minutes later at the emergency room."
Her story continues: "Throughout our shock and disbelief, we have researched and found cases similar to ours. Upon preparing to become a mother, I read multiple books and stories on possible dangers that could harm babies and toddlers. I knew blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, etc. could be dangerous to babies before they were a year old.
"Both of mine slept in sleep sacks with an angel care breathing monitor until they were one. I was such a worrier and they both stayed in bassinets in our room until they were six months old. I wish I had once read about this. There is a cheap temperature monitor I could have had-would have had If I had heard of even one instance where a child could die by a heater not turning off like it is supposed to.
"Our son, Jackson, is three years old and had been sleeping in our bedroom downstairs for a year because he claimed monsters were in his room! Doctors said he would have likely died if he had been in his room."
It was later revealed that Sammi died after a heater malfunctioned and she contracted hyperthermia.
While the thermostat had been set to a safe temperature of 72 degrees, it was not maintained by the malfunctioning heater - an HVAC system - causing the toddler's room to rise to over 100 degrees.
However, as Keri and her husband were upstairs, they were able to sleep through the night, totally unaware of the dangerously high temperature that their daughter was being subjected to.
Doctors believe that Sammi would have passed away in her sleep and never woken up, as very young children cannot regular their temperatures as effectively as older children and adults, as per Standford Children's Health.
Keri has since shared the heartbreaking story in an effort to prevent the little-known issue from impacting another family.
"We want others (especially those with two-story homes) to hear Sammie's story so that children can be protected and other families spared from the horrific grief we are forced to endure each day," she writes.
The family continues to honor the memory of their late daughter, raising funds, cuddly toys, and other necessities for The WARM Place - a non-profit dedicated to helping families tackle grief.
Additionally, after sharing their tragic story, many parents and caregivers took to the comments section to not only voice their support for the family, but also reveal that they will be taking the necessary steps and investing in products that are dedicated to monitoring a child's temperature and heart rate while they sleep.
Please shop around for whatever works best for your family, but for inspiration, you can check out pages like CheekyRascals.com here.
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