Serendipity is defined as "making fortunate discoveries by accident." This word means the world to our family because without serendipity, we would not be alive.
A few years ago, we were thrilled to welcome our third child. He joined our twins, who were born very prematurely a year earlier but who were thankfully now thriving. Because of the twins' delicate state, we had learned quite a bit about the importance of indoor air quality and made sure we maintained clean heating and air ducts, having them serviced again just days before our third child came home from the hospital. Knowing we could never be too careful, we also decided to purchase new smoke alarms to supplement the one we had.
When my husband returned from the store with our new smoke alarms, I noticed that he had inadvertently purchased a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm as well. As a nurse, I was familiar with the grave danger of CO poisoning and suggested that we install the device rather than returning it. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that left undetected can quickly lead to severe brain injury or death. Thank goodness we decided to keep that alarm.
The night we brought our infant son home from the hospital, our family of five, plus my mother, went to bed -- tired but content and grateful for our good fortune. We soon discovered the true extent of our fortune. In the middle of the night we were awakened by an urgent alarm. It was our carbon monoxide alarm. We quickly gathered our family, exited our home and called the fire department.
As it turns out, when our heater ducts were cleaned earlier that week, the exhaust tube was improperly placed, filling our home with deadly carbon monoxide when our heater was turned on. Had my husband not accidentally purchased the CO alarm, our family would have never known were being poisoned and we would certainly all have perished.
The fire department determined the CO level in our home was 121 parts per million, with 50 parts per million being the lowest level of CO toxicity for an adult.
While my family was saved by accident, there is legislation pending that will help ensure all California families are protected from deadly CO poisoning. In the coming weeks, Gov. Schwarzenegger will have the opportunity to sign Senate Bill SB 183, which calls for the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in all single and multi-dwelling homes. As my family can attest, CO alarms provide the most effective line of defense against this silent killer, and they only cost about $20.
In addition to faulty heaters, carbon monoxide has many sources that can be found in California homes. CO poisoning can be caused by gas ranges and stoves, gas clothes dryers, portable heaters, fireplaces, blocked chimneys and word burning stoves, just to name a few. Because CO has no smell or taste, in the absence of a carbon monoxide alarm most people are left completely unaware of CO exposure. And because the initial symptoms of poisoning are often flu-like, including headache and nausea, victims have no idea that they could be poisoned to death.
CO alarms in all California homes will help avoid more CO related deaths and injuries. That is why California firefighters and children and family advocates support SB 183. My family joins them strongly urging Schwarzenegger to sign this bill.
Sanders is a registered nurse and lives in Turlock with her husband, Jason, and three sons.
RSS
E-Mail
Print
reprint or license
