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By Kera Mashek
Lawrence, KS – "I remember watching the nurse say" why? "It was just hot, it was just hot," says Rachel Mikel
The subway is taking a short break right now, but this summer has been brutal.
Extreme Heat is proven murderous for a Lawrence teenager with autism.His parents now hope that their tragedy offers a critical lesson for others.
"He was so brilliant, he made funny noises and drew his joy the simplest things, "says Mikel.
Rachel Mikel still tries"
"The silence is deafening," she says.
Elie was diagnosed with severe autism at the time of her death. age of 2. Even though he could not speak, the 18-year-old knew how to entertain and bring joy to others
"His autism did not define him, he really put all in perspective for us and what's important in life, "said Mikel.
He liked to be deho As they had done so many times before, Elijah and her caregiver went to nature trails along Clinton Lake in Lawrence last week.
It was a hot day, with temperatures around 102 and a heat index close to 110. 15 minutes outside, Elijah's caregiver worried.
"She called me and said" something is wrong, he sits and will not recover, "recalls Mikel
.The only way whose caregiver could say that something was wrong was through his behaviors.
Rachel hoped that it was only one of the most stubborn moments of Elijah, but she rushed to the park to check in.
There, and I saw it, I knew something was wrong, "she said.
They called 911. It turned out that the temperature of Elijah was 108. He was suffering from heat exhaustion. The paramedics tried everything to cool him on the way to the hospital.
"Things seemed to improve," says Mikel.
But his temperature did not drop enough. Doctors say that heat exhaustion quickly wears the muscles of the body, including the heart.
"Being out in the heat on days like this, it's hard for the body. and the shift from heat exhaustion to heat stroke can happen much faster than many people appreciate, "said Dr. Steve Lauer, chair of pediatrics-related health care system at the University of Toronto. Kansas. "We're used to that in Kansas, it's just a part of life here, Okay, there's a heat notice, I'll run the air conditioner," Mikel said.
But now this family has learned that heat can be deadly, and fast. They share their story in the hope that it could help save someone's life.
"Drink water, take a break, go inside, this is not a joke, it is not something that happens to others. He is 18 years old and is in good health, so be careful, "said Mikel.
Doctors say that critical signs of heat illness include excessive sweating and abnormal behaviors or fatigue. these symptoms, get out of direct sunlight and drink water.
The Elijah family is grateful for the overwhelming support of the Lawrence community, including the doctors and nurses who Were treated at the hospital and paramedics with Douglas County Fire and Medical who helped. [19659003Desmemoirsfeaturesintheaudience'ElijahàlaLawrenceHumaneSocietyandAutismSpeaks
His family also hopes that the story of Elijah raises the Awareness of Autism
"I want to emphasize that autism did not define it. Regardless, you never know the story of someone else, we often have people watching us, watching us and sometimes telling us, "Can not you keep your child quiet? And I think that something that I want everyone to know, is that you do not know the stories of others and that we worked hard for him to say two or three words, a challenge with which we lived in, but which made us love more and that made us realize how precious life was, "said Mikel.
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