Allyson Turner – known to her friends and family as Ally – was taking a bath at home on December 8th, 2015 when she suddenly fell unconscious and slipped under the water eventually drowning in less than a foot of water. But against all odds, she survived and her community rallied around her to, put it simply, “Just Fight.”
Ally’s tale of survival is grounded in razor-sharp instinct, preparedness and expert knowledge that only a nurse would know.
When Ally was a toddler her parents, Brad and Bridget Turner, discovered that fever-like temperatures brought upon seizures for their little girl. These febrile seizures – also known as “fever seizures” – didn’t last long and were always accompanied by a temp of 101 or higher. Because of this peculiar situation, Ally’s parents made her promise whenever they asked, “Are you alright?” she must reply if she wasn’t in the same room as them.
Two days before the worst day of the Turner family’s life, Ally complained of “stomach pains.” She showed no other symptoms, as her appetite remained normal and her temperature was on point. But yet, she still seemed bothered by something in her belly but her parents couldn't figure out what was wrong.
Now that Ally was seven years old – and seizure-free for the past two years – her parents were allowing their little girl more freedom by letting her bath alone while they were just down the hall with with son Liam. On this brisk Tuesday afternoon, Brad and Bridget heard a small bang come from the bathroom so Brad instinctively called out, “Ally, you ok?” He waited a few moments as it was typical for her not to respond right away.
Some time passed and Brad called out again, “Ally, are you ok?” Again, no answer but this time Brad was already on his feet heading towards the bathroom. “Ally?!” Brad called out as he rapidly made his way to the tub.
Under the water, already slightly blue laid his daughter – with no heartbeat. It had been barely a minute and a half since they heard the initial bang that grabbed their collective attention. Brad pulled Ally out while his wife, a registered nurse at Abington Memorial Hospital, instantly began life-saving CPR.
In a surreal twist of fate, it was now Bridget’s daughter being treated by her peers at the very hospital she works at each day. Ally was eventually airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where they discovered Ally’s time spent without oxygen caused severe brain damage.
But what was most surprising, was that they also discovered Ally suffered from something called Intussusception, which happens when one portion of the intestine slides onto the next, much like the action of a telescope. Not only is this very painful, but it typically doesn’t affect anyone over two, and yet somehow Ally had it hence her complaints of stomach pains days earlier. It hasn't been confirmed (nor ruled out), but Ally might have fainted due to intense pain from the bowel issue she was obviously suffering from the past few days. This is likely why she suddenly fell unconscious.
Ally spent over three grueling weeks in PICU and another few months going through intense therapy to begin the process to regain all that was lost. Eventually, Ally was discharged to go home on April 1st, 2016.
There are many things special about young Ally and her fight to overcome TBI, but what surely stands out the most is how the Turner’s community rallied around them to keep their spirits high while the family dealt with one of the hardest life events they’ll ever face.
The local police and fire departments, area restaurants and businesses, schools, family, friends and strangers alike got together to help raise money, so this family could continue to live as normally as possible. All because they knew there was only one approach for Ally's injury: Just Fight.
Before Brad and his family returned home, Bridget’s brother Michael took it upon himself to give the bathroom -- where Ally's accident occurred -- a complete facelift. Michael not only redid the entirety of the bathroom, but he expertly turned the old bathtub into a pile of ash before dumping in a trash heap far, far away. "We're a family of working people. They're not huggers, they just want to build," Brad explained. So his family erased any bad memories that might've lurked in that bathroom and replaced it with "some new juju."
Holton’s Heroes is proud to join their family and community by giving the Turners one less thing to worry about. As our newest recipient, we were able to purchase a purple Tumble Forms chair for Ally so she can sit comfortably at home or on the go. The Tumble Forms chair is also a magnificent therapy device that allows children, like Ally and Holton, to sit in a correct manner when eating, playing or even just relaxing. It’s a versatile chair with many uses and will hopefully help Ally’s access to the world around her.
We wish Ally the best as she truly begins the hardest fight of her life, but with a support system as loving as the one that surrounds her we don’t think she’ll have any issues achieving everything she puts that beautiful mind to.
You can learn more about Ally by liking their Just Fight group on Facebook.
“Holton’s Heroes made coming home with Ally a lot easier for us and took some of the worries away — and we are beyond grateful.”
Holton's Heroes sponsored three incredible campers to attend the 2018 summer session of Camp Cranium—a camp dedicated to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for children with brain injuries.