Brandi Stoll

On July 31st, it was just a normal Saturday for us with cleaning, laundry, playing and having friends over kinda day.  We would have never thought our lives were going to change.  We have always taught our kids the rules around the pool and do and don’t. Our boys know how to swim whereas the girls still use life jackets. 

On this Saturday, our kids were playing with our friends kids in the pool and us 4 adults were just hanging around the pool talking. The kids got out to go jump in the trampoline, so i took the girls vests off.  After jumping and playing outside of our pool area, they got popsicles. My Alizah Rose wanted a different popsicle so me and her went back inside and got her a red, white and blue bomb pop.

At this point, the Ariella and Gabriel and our friends kids were already back swimming. Roman was inside just hanging out. I sat back down with Alizah by my side on the lounge chair and continued in on the adult conversation as the kids played.  A min or 2 passed and Sam was going inside to get changed and asked where Alizah was and I kind of shrugged I don’t know because she usually will go and play. Sam asked Roman if Alizah was with him and I heard Roman say no and Sam said ALIZAH- I heard the tone in his voice so I stood straight up and looked around. I instantly saw my Lifeless little baby floating by the pool stairs.

I rushed over and pulled her out by her tiny little swim diaper and instantly started to give her CPR. I don’t even know what happened in between that time other than screaming to call 911 and continuing chest compressions. Sam jumped in and started mouth to mouth. As I looked at my baby’s blue face and not breathing I was able to remain calm and continue to call out commands. I told roman to put the dog in the room, telling Sam small little breathes and counting my compressions.

The firefights, ambulance and about 15 police cars showed up. They immediately make you feel you are the absolute worse at your absolute worse.  Alizah was immediately rushed to the hospital and I was able to follow behind in the police car. As I was in the back of the police car they are trying to find out what happened, somewhat sincere but I didn’t even care as I just wanted to be with my baby. 

We get to the hospital and I was able to follow the gurney in to the trauma room where a fire fighter gave me a thumbs up. I wasn’t sure what this meant but it had to be good. I heard my baby crying as the closed the curtains and the hospital social worker sat me down and just stayed there and rubbed my back. The doctors and nurses are calling out numbers and stats and xray, I’m really trying to hear everything. I see these 2 doctors rush around the corner and go in my baby’s room. Minutes later they come out and ask if theu can intubate her because she was 50/50. As a mother what am I suppose to do??? I told them do whatever it takes to save her. 

They are able to stabilize her but she was still in extremely critical condition. They moved us up to ICU where the nurses immediately start monitoring her. At this point her lungs and heart sounded really good. So many beeps, tubes, lights, a lot going on.   Her stats started to drop because the tube was not far enough down so they had to start bagging her and fix it.  Poor baby started to have “seizures” so they pumped more meds to prevent them. Move forward about 30’mins she spiked a fever of 103.7 and kept having “seizures.”  They put a cooling pad under her, pumped her with more meds and just kept watching her.

As I am watching my baby get worked on the investigators had to do their job and ask me questions and take pictures but The nurse never left her side or mine. They were able to bring the fever down and keep her calm.  They ordered an EEG and just kept monitoring her. I did not sleep that whole night as I kept praying and hoping my baby would be okay- how could I be so stupid/ how could I let it happen/ my baby/ my tiny baby wasn’t going to make it to her 2nd birthday. 

The next morning After the nurse change, they continued to monitor and got the EEG going, I spoke to the neurologist and doctors multiple times. The main pediatric doctor was still saying it was a 50/50 chance but her vitals were strong. This is all I needed to hear.  This whole day they kept her comfortable and kept her fever down.

On Monday, they wanted to start slowly wean her off the breathing tube and she showed such improvement with being able to breathe in her own. By the end of the night she was still under paralytics but not intubated.  Over the course of the next few days she continued to improve, spiking a fever here and there but maintaining progress.  She was monitored on the EEG for 12 hours and no seizures, she had multiples xrays and they were clear, the CT scan was clear and most importantly her MRI was clear!!!!

There is so so much in between this that I am slowly forgetting. All I remember is that the doctor and head nurse kept coming in to check on her progress. They were consistently impressed.  After all this, she started RT, OT and PT.

I am forever grateful to everyone who did not stop praying for my baby, who consistently shared our story and got groups together to pray.  My baby should not have survived and if she did it was expected she would have neurological issues.  She is ALIVE and has NO MAJOR ISSUES!!!! She is an absolute miracle. We will continue with therapy and a few medications but only temporarily!  

Please please please-you hear it all the time- watch your kids around water- it’s true. It takes a moment to happen. We have a fence, we have life jackets, we were right there- 4 adults and it happened.  Drowning does not discriminate! I was told multiple times in the hospital this outcome NEVER happens

My Alizah Rose Aguilar is an absolute miracle and she will know how many people who came forward to help and those who continue to help