Mother Shares Warning After Almost Losing Her Daughter To Alcohol Poisoning

Mother's Heartfelt Alcohol Poisoning Warning

Melissa Aho lived every parent's worst nightmare when she found her 15-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, passed out. Ryleigh was unresponsive, foaming at the mouth and covered in vomit -- all as a result of alcohol poisoning. And this brave mom is sharing the terrifying ordeal on Facebook so that it can serve as a warning of just how serious and deadly alcohol poisoning can be!

WARNING – Some photos may be considered graphic or disturbing

Credit: Facebook

A Night Out

Melissa, who resides in Massachusetts, didn't hesitate to say yes when Ryleigh asked permission to spend Saturday night at a friend's house. They were planning to see a movie, and Melissa had no reason to doubt her 15-year-old daughter. Ryleigh had always been good about communication and check-ins before.

But as we all know, even good kids can make bad decisions. That night, Ryleigh decided to join her friends in underage drinking. And it was a poor decision that nearly cost the teen her life.

Credit: Facebook / Melissa Aho

A Terrifying Twist

Melissa had no idea her daughter's plans for the evening had changed until she received a Facebook message at 1:00am saying Ryleigh was somewhere passed out. Calls to Ryleigh's phone went unanswered, and Melissa was getting no response from the girl who'd sent her the Facebook message. She was going out of her mind with worry.

The reason the girl who messaged Melissa was not responding is because she was already on her way to pick up the sick teen. She'd received a panicked phone call from a friend who happened to be at the same party as Ryleigh. And though neither of them knew Ryleigh very well, they could tell something was seriously wrong with the unconscious girl. So, they picked her up and drove her to Melissa's house.

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A Mother’s Worst Nightmare

As Melissa rushed out to the vehicle, nothing could prepare her for what she was about to find. And the horrific scene is likely to haunt her forever.

"I opened the car door to see my daughter, lifeless and foaming at the mouth, covered in vomit," Melissa wrote in her Facebook post.

The details were limited since the girl who'd retrieved Ryleigh hadn't been with her that night, but apparently Ryleigh had consumed too much Vodka way too fast.

"My 92lb child had a 2.8 blood alcohol level," Melissa said.

Credit: Facebook / Melissa Aho

Melissa called 911 immediately. The paramedics administered Narcan -- an anti-overdose medication -- four times to try to fight the effects of alcohol poisoning. They then rushed Ryleigh to the hospital.

Praying For A Miracle

The next 14 hours were excruciating as doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to save the young girl who was no longer breathing on her own. Melissa spent the time begging and pleading for her daughter's life, and experiencing flashbacks of major milestones through Ryleigh's life.

Credit: Facebook / Melissa Aho

But God still had plans for this 15-year-old's precious life.

"After 14 hours, my beautiful daughter finally, by the grace of God, opened her big beautiful green eyes..." said Melissa.

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Ryleigh is back home continuing to recover from the damage done to her body. But she is alive and healing -- an answered prayer Melissa will never forget.

Credit: Facebook / Melissa Aho

And because He can use all things for good, she's made it her mission to share Ryleigh's story for two very important reasons.

Spreading Awareness

The first is to warn other teens and parents of just how serious alcohol poisoning can be. And it's not something that only threatens the perceived "troublemakers." Even good kids can be tempted and pressured to experiment, without realizing just how dangerous "just this once" can be.

"Don't ever think this couldn't happen to you because it is very real and it's everywhere," Melissa warns in her Facebook post. "Our pictures of her may be disturbing to some but our hopes are in sharing our pain we may be able to PREVENT AND SAVE ANOTHER CHILD!!!"

But there's another important message in Melissa's Facebook post.

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Pictured: Melissa Aho Credit: Facebook / Melissa Aho

Have The Courage To Do The Right Thing

When it became clear something was wrong with Ryleigh, the close friends she'd been with abandoned her out of fear of getting into trouble themselves. The girls who stepped up and helped Ryleigh barely knew her, but they had the courage to do the right thing. Melissa says:

"So, I'm sharing our experience so that EVERY TEEN who may come to be in this situation knows....you will NOT get in trouble for getting someone help!!!! You have the ability to SAVE a precious life!!!!! So please reach out and get help no matter what the circumstances. That one girl SAVED my daughters life by contacting someone who could get ahold of me and if it were not for her the reality of it is I would be burying my daughter this week."

It's the type of courage we ALL need more of. And we're thankful Melissa is working so hard to get this message out there. We join her in praying that Ryleigh's brush with death will deter other teens from experimenting with alcohol, as well as make other parents aware of just how serious the threat of alcohol poisoning is to ALL kids.

Please be sure to share Ryleigh's story in order to continue to spread awareness!

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7