Family Issues Warning Over Rising Temperatures After Son Dies From Heat Exhaustion

Jul 27, 2018 by apost team

Temperatures are rising higher and higher this summer. Everyone needs to be very careful when they head outside in the hot summer sun. While you can take a break in the shade to cool off, it’s probably better to prevent the side effects of heat from occurring in the first place.

Many people aren’t aware of the risks they are dealing with when it comes to the heat. Unfortunately, this can cause grave consequences, as one family found out when their autistic son died due to heat exhaustion.

Elijah Mikel was just 18-years-old when he and his caretaker were taking a walk through nature on July 11th. While they were only outside for 15 minutes in the 102-degree weather, Elijah felt ill and couldn’t stand up. The caretaker called his parents immediately.

Rachel, his mother, says that when they got to the scene, Elijah was propped up against a nearby tree but was slumped over with his eyes rolled back. His father, a nurse, screamed when he came upon the scene. Rachel said she knew it was bad when he lost it.

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First responders arrived about 30 minutes later. By then, Elijah’s temperature was at 108.8 degrees, making their efforts futile. He died later that day of heat exhaustion. Rachel said she kept exclaiming that he was “just hot.”

She couldn’t understand how it happened.

Dr. Steve Lauer, who is on the University of Kansas Health System Associate Chair of Pediatrics, says that heat can wear out your muscles quickly, including your heart muscles. He says that no matter how old you are, being outside in extreme heat is very hard on your body. He says that it takes just minutes to become overheated. The move from just heat exhaustion to heat stroke can occur much faster than people realize.

Some symptoms include: heavy sweating, weak pulse, faintness, fatigue, and dizziness. In Elijah’s case, the heart simply stopped working.

Rachel wants others to know that heat stroke isn’t a joke. She says he was only 18 and fairly healthy. She wants others to be cautious when they are outside in the heat. Elijah was non-verbal and autistic, but Rachel says he had a lot of fun and brought joy to those around him.

She says that he was very special to her and the rest of the family and that his autism did not define him as a person. She wants everyone to realize that while raising a child with autism brings challenges, the end result is worth it. Have you ever suffered from heat exhaustion? Tell us about it by leaving a comment!