By Pete Wicklund
Journal Times | Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:00 am
TICHIGAN - To her family members, little Ava Walters will always be remembered as the kid who knew how to shut down a party.
Indeed, few in her family will ever forget the late afternoon of July 1. That's when the 16-month-old toddler put the scare of a lifetime into her family members. The little girl somehow climbed or fell into a kiddie pool and nearly drowned.
Quick action by family members, a cop who lives next door to where the incident took place and police and rescue crews brought Ava's small, lifeless body back - and the girl is now doing fine.
Ava was with her parents, Kenosha residents Sean and Heather, and big sister, Johanna, 4, at the home of Lisa Konwent (Sean's sister) on Sherry Lane just west of Highway 164 in the north area of the Town of Waterford.
Family members had gathered to welcome another aunt of Ava's, Sean's sister, Amy Evans, in town from Tennessee for a visit.
Family members were preparing for dinner and Ava was with other kids and grown-ups in the backyard. The other kids at some point ran to the front yard, leaving Ava unattended just long enough to find trouble.
"Never put in your mind that your kids can't get something past you, because they can," said Heather Walters, who said she had turned her back on Ava for just a couple of minutes as dinner preparations were being made.
As the other kids were rounded up for dinner, the realization was quickly made that Ava was missing. Family members scoured the property looking for the girl and it was visiting Aunt Amy who made the terrifying discovery. There, in probably 18 inches of water, was the little girl face down, her sippy cup floating in the pool. Family members and police estimate she had been in the water for two to four minutes.
What followed might have been chaotic, but it also followed a textbook example of what rescue manuals say should take place. Ava's dad and grandfather, Jim, immediately began resuscitation efforts while another family member called 911. Lisa Konwent ran next door to the home of Jimmy Hecht, a member of the Town of Waterford Police Department who was off-duty and preparing dinner and waiting for his wife to get home.
Hecht remembers the sound of panic in Konwent's voice.
"Jimmy, Jimmy. You gotta come quick. My niece drowned," Hecht recalls Konwent crying.
Hecht described Ava's body as lifeless. Her face was ashen and gray in color. He relieved Ava's dad and granddad, who were doing old-style cardiopulmonary resuscitation that consisted of chest compressions and regular ventilations. Hecht started in with up-to-date training which emphasizes continual compressions to get blood flowing to vital organs.
Hecht said he worked on the girl for 3 to 5 minutes before Ava began to respond.
"It seemed like forever," he said.
Quickly arriving on the scene was Paul Maccari, a part-time officer with the Town of Waterford Police Department who was on duty and was just a mile away in the Tichigan business district when the call came in. He assisted Hecht with maintaining Ava's airway.
"Jimmy was doing a fantastic job," said Maccari, who is also a full-time officer with Mount Pleasant.
As the men worked, Ava's chest suddenly rose and she gave a gasp for air. Hecht continued compressions and she began regurgitating food and water. Maccari cleared the airway and Hecht kept working. Then Ava took another big gasp, started to cry and opened her eyes.
By that time, Tichigan Fire Co. first responders and Wind Lake rescue crews arrived on scene. They quickly shuttled the girl to the rescue squad and took off to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. Ava's dad went along for the ride, while Heather tried to compose herself.
"I was in the house hyperventilating," Heather said. "When you see your kid so lifeless, your life changes so dramatically, so fast in those few minutes."
For Hecht, who has performed CPR a couple of times on adults, reviving Ava provided a rush of emotions.
"Kids do a whole different thing to you. After she started to cry, it was difficult for me to retain my composure," said Hecht, who has worked in law enforcement for 25 years, 10 of those with the Town of Waterford. "I pretty much couldn't sleep that night."
Maccari, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, has had a past experience of reviving a child who was choking on spaghetti on 16th Street in Mount Pleasant.
"It's a great feeling when you can save someone, especially with a child," Maccari said, "Thank God it worked out."
For the Walters, who are expecting their third child, Ava's rescue is nothing short of a miracle and they cannot extend enough gratitude for the work of Hecht, Maccari and the other rescuers on the scene.
"I believe God looked down and allowed all these things to fall into place," Heather Walters said. "It's a miracle story."