A mother in Florida is spreading awareness after she says her twins were found suffocated in a toy chest. (Sadie Myers | Facebook)
Jacksonville, Fla.
A Florida mother says she is sharing her tragic story of losing her twins in hopes of helping other parents.
Sadie Myers said her 4-year-old twins recently suffocated in a toy chest while they slept.
“Not many will know the pain of losing two children at the same time and losing them in a way that makes no sense,” Myers shared.
According to Myers, last Friday night, the twins and her other two children were put to bed by their father, Don Starr.
She said at some point during the overnight hours, the twins woke each other up and started playing.
According to the mother, this was nothing unusual, as they usually woke up and played with one another before falling back asleep amongst their toys.
But this time, they fell asleep in their toy chest.
“They decided to snuggle up and go back to sleep in their cedar toy chest that we use to store all their stuffed animals,” Myers shared. “They pulled out all but a couple of stuffed animals. I guess they left some to keep it comfy in there, then they laid inside from head to toe with one arm each over.”
However, during their sleep, one of them must have moved or kicked during a dream, causing the lid of the old wooden cedar chest to close, Myers said.
According to Myers, the wooden toy chest closed on them and made it airtight and unfortunately soundproof.
“As they slept, all snuggled up together, they slowly ran out of oxygen within a couple of hours and passed away. They never even knew it was happening. There was no sudden gasp for air, it was a very slow transition from sleep to passing on,” she shared.
Myers said they discovered the twins’ bodies when she woke up the next morning while getting ready for work.
She said the family got worried when the twins were not in their beds.
“We all immediately started panicking, yelling for them, turning the house upside down, then Axton [one of her other children] yelled, “Mommy I found them! They are so silly just sleeping in the toy box,’” Myers said.
But the mother of four said she could tell something wasn’t right, “and within a few seconds quickly realized it was already too late.”
Myers said the twins’ death doesn’t make sense to her right now, but she hopes in some way her story can help other parents from experiencing the same tragedy.
“I hope knowing this helps in some way, and I hope if you have a toy box like this that you destroy it immediately!!!” the mother shared.
Myers’ sister has started a GoFundMe on behalf of the family.
“My beautiful sister and her wonderful husband were devastated a few days ago by the unexpected, incomprehensible loss of both of their beautiful 4-year-old twins in a tragic accident,” Deanna Myers wrote.
She added, “Please help me raise whatever it takes for these two amazing parents and their two remaining children to be able to grieve together without worrying about going back to work right away or stressing about coming up with money to pay bills or final expenses.”
The Myers family has thanked everyone for the support they have already received.
“I want to thank EVERYONE for your kind words and for all the support and donations given. You all have no idea what it means to me and my family to know there are so many people out there that care so deeply,” Sadie Myers shared in an update this week.