A three-year-old boy has died after choking on a bouncy ball, leaving his family completely heartbroken.
Alby Davis was playing with party favours ahead of his fourth birthday party, when the ball became lodged in his windpipe and stopped him from breathing at his home in Wynyard, Tasmania on Monday.
His mother, Anna, did all that she could to to dislodge the ball but despite her efforts he choked to death “in a matter of seconds.”
Anna, who is expecting her fourth child, has since posted a tribute to her little son on her company Instagram account, The Small Folk — a business specialising in educational games for children.
“Yesterday afternoon, our beautiful, beautiful Alby, our darling baby boy, grew wings and flew from this earth,” she captioned the post, which showed the youngster in a golden-coloured t-shirt smiling toward the camera.
She added: “Minutes pass like hours and the gaping hole in our lives and hearts is completely incomprehensible. We adore you beyond belief, our sweet little fox. Forever three, forever free.”
A family friend has since set up a GoFundMe page to help Anna and her relief-teacher husband Simon care for their daughter Sage and son Acre as they grieve for their toddler and await the arrival of their fourth child.
The page reads: “In this time of unfathomable grief, this beautiful family need time to mourn and surround each other in love, without having the financial burdens of daily life and work commitments weighing on their minds. As Simon is a relief teacher, he is not entitled to any leave, and as so many of you know, Anna is self-employed with her much-loved business, The Small Folk.”
It adds: “Let us come together to offer our support in any amount we can. We may live far away, even separated by oceans, but let us band together to help Anna and her family feel our love and presence during this time.”
In an incredible display of love and solidarity, the fundraising campaign has already raised more than $178,000 — far eclipsing the $100,000 goal.
A community of parents from around the world, reeling at the reality that something so simple could be so deadly, shared their support with the young family on the page.
“My heart is aching for your family, in this sudden loss of your sweet angel boy. Surrounding you in light and prayer,” one commenter wrote, while another added: “My family and I are so sorry for your loss. I’m extremely heartbroken for you as a mother. Sending you all the love and prayers. Pls take care of yourself.”
A third noted: “You will forever have a precious angel watching over you.”
Our thoughts are with the family during this unimaginably difficult time.
