'Miracles do happen': Parents of toddler who fell into pool grateful to community
Gillian Burnett was almost finished her work day on Jan. 24 when she received a terrifying call about her young son.
Waylon, 20-months-old, was found submerged in an outdoor pool at a home daycare near Petrolia, Ont.
The family estimates Waylon was under water for five minutes. His body temperature was just 23 C.
“The thoughts that go through your mind are pretty scary,” Gillian told CTV News. “Your heart is in your stomach. It just felt like it was impossible to get there [the hospital].”
When they arrived at Petrolia’s Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital, Gillian and Waylon’s father Garth Saunders, witnessed an all-out battle to save their son’s life.
Gillian says teams of emergency room staff performed CPR for over two hours, “Tears were in their eyes. It really affected them. But they didn’t stop! That is something I’ll never, ever forget.”
But then, just as it was feared the fight to save Waylon might be lost, a faint heartbeat was detected.
A team from Children’s Hospital in London arrived to help transfer him.
Gillian and Garth were told their son had less than a 10 per cent chance of surviving the trip.
Waylon and Gillian Burnett. (Source: Submitted) Happily, just over a week later, Waylon has beat the odds.
There is a long road ahead, but on Tuesday, Waylon was moved from critical care to a general ward.
Gillian said her son has suffered a traumatic brain injury from being submerged. It is too soon to know, but she says doctors fear the injury may impact Waylon’s eyesight and memory.
Even with the trauma, Gillian added there are positive signs.
“We have lots. He is breathing by himself. His heart rate is going and the best thing right now is he is giving little smiles,” she said.
Smiles are something Gillian also occasionally wears amid her worries. One is for the many prayers said for Waylon she believes have been answered. Another is worn for health care workers in Petrolia and London.
“Between the doctors, the nurses and everybody that supported us, I hope that you guys all know how very thankful our whole family is for you!”
The family is also thankful to those who have already donated to an online campaign to support their current and anticipated future medical expenses.
While Gillian said Lambton OPP are investigating the circumstances surrounding Waylon falling into the pool, she expressed that her family is currently focussed on his care and not the investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.