The mother of a three-year-old boy who choked to death on a bouncy ball has revealed she painstakingly tried to resuscitate her child for 16 minutes until paramedics arrived.
Anna Davis said she was only three feet away from her son Alby when he began choking on the small toy he was gifted as an early fourth birthday present at his home in Wynyard, Tasmania.
She attempted to pull out the ball – which was only slightly larger than a 50 cent piece – and started performing CPR during an ‘excruciating’ wait for paramedics.
Her son could not be revived and he died before her eyes on Monday – just days before his fourth birthday.
The mother of Alby Davis (pictured) – who choked to death on a bouncy ball – has revealed she painstakingly tried to resuscitate her child for 16 minutes until paramedics arrived
Anna Davis (pictured) said she was only three feet away from her son Alby when he began choking on the small toy he was gifted as an early fourth birthday present at his home in Wynyard, Tasmania
Alby (pictured with Anna) could not be revived and he died before her eyes on Monday – just days before his fourth birthday
The devastated mother took to Instagram on Saturday to reveal the heartbreaking details and explain how ‘incorrect assumptions’ about the tragedy are hurting the grieving family further.
‘The heartache we are already experiencing is indescribable,’ she wrote.
‘To very briefly clarify some of the most widely spread misconceptions – yes, I tried to save our beautiful boy (including, but not only, undertaking CPR for 16 excruciating minutes until paramedics arrived).
‘I was three feet away from Alby when the incident occurred and was by his side within seconds.’
She explained how the ball – which features the smiling face of a character from animated children’s program PJ Masks – was larger than the 50 cent piece recommendation for young children’s toys.
Mrs Davis also said her son exceeded the ball’s choking hazard warning by almost an entire year.
The devastated mother took to Instagram on Saturday to reveal the heartbreaking details and explain how ‘incorrect assumptions’ about the tragedy are hurting the grieving family further
She explained how the ball – which features the smiling face of a character from animated children’s program PJ Masks – was larger than the 50 cent piece recommendation for young children’s toys (pictured is the same type of ball)
A picture of the same type of ball was supplied by Mrs Davis to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, revealing how it fits inside the palm of her hand
The ball came in a six pack of assorted colours, which can be found at department store BIG W and various party supplies stores for less than AUD$15
A picture of the same type of ball was supplied by Mrs Davis to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, revealing how it fits inside the palm of her hand.
The ball came in a six pack of assorted colours, which can be found at department store BIG W and various party supplies stores for less than AUD$15.
The front of the packet features a choking hazard and warns the toy is a ‘small ball not suited for children under three years’.
Alby died after choking on the ball just 40 minutes after telling his mother ‘I can’t wait to go to bed’.
Mrs Davis posted a picture on Instagram on Thursday night of Alby in bed with his new birthday bed linen and captioned it with her ‘golden boy’s’ last words.
She wrote: ”’I can’t wait to go to bed tonight Mum!” ‘Our precious boy, with his brand new doona cover, 2.49pm on Monday afternoon… exactly 40 minutes before he took his final earthside breath in my arms.’
Alby (pictured) died after choking on the ball just 40 minutes before telling his mother ‘I can’t wait to go to bed’
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Friday morning, she said the family were very grateful for the ‘love and gratitude’ they have received ‘as we fathom the loss of our golden boy’.
Earlier, Mrs Davis, who runs a small children’s toys business called The Small Folk, posted a tribute to her son on her company Instagram account which features dozens of photos of her family and their nature-based lifestyle.
She wrote: ‘Yesterday afternoon, our beautiful, beautiful Alby, our darling baby boy, grew wings and flew from this earth.
‘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.’
Mrs Davis, who runs a small children’s toys business called The Small Folk, posted a tribute to her son (pictured) on her company Instagram account which features dozens of photos of her family and their nature-based lifestyle
The tribute read: ‘Yesterday afternoon, our beautiful, beautiful Alby, our darling baby boy, grew wings and flew from this earth’
The heartfelt post received more than 45,000 likes and 10,000 sympathetic comments.
A family friend has now set up a Gofundme page to raise money for Mrs Davis and her relief-teacher husband Simon to help them look after their daughter Sage and son Acre as they expect their fourth child.
It has already raised more than $244,000, eclipsing the $100,000 goal.
The page reads: ‘On Monday afternoon, the unimaginable for any parent occurred.
‘Darling Alby was playing with a bouncy ball that had arrived earlier that morning, in a package filled with party favours for his upcoming 4th birthday celebrations.
‘The ball became stuck in his windpipe, preventing his ability to breathe, and in a matter of seconds, despite his mama’s frantic attempts to save him, he passed away in her arms.
A neighbour said: ‘There has been an outpouring of people, food and kindness. What has happened is unfathomable.’ A friend added: ‘They are a really beautiful and humble family, and people are sharing their grief.’
The tribute continued: ‘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 now set up a Gofundme page to raise money for Mrs Davis and her relief teacher husband Simon to help them look after their daughter Sage and son Acre as they expect their fourth child
‘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.’
A neighbour told The Mercury: ‘There has been an outpouring of people, food and kindness. What has happened is unfathomable.’
A friend added: ‘They are a really beautiful and humble family, and people are sharing their grief.’
Mrs Davis’ heartfelt tribute post received 45,000 likes and 10,000 sympathetic comments