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Twins, 4, Suffocate After Falling Asleep In Their Cedar Toy Chest In The Night - As Heartbroken Mom Warns Parents The Boxes Become 'AIR-TIGHT And Soundproof' When Closed

Aurora, a girl, and Kellan, a boy, were taken to bed by their father Don Starr last Friday but decided to snuggle up in the box used to store their stuffed animals

They ran out of oxygen and suffocated and were eventually found dead, with their arms wrapped around each other, by their older brother 

Their mother Sadie Myers warned parents that the chests become 'air tight' and 'soundproof' when closed and urged them to 'destroy it immediately'

By Kamal Sultan For Dailymail.Com

Published: 16:21 EDT, 5 September 2023Updated: 15:11 EDT, 8 September 2023

A pair of four-year-old twins suffocated after falling asleep in their cedar toy chest in the middle of the night. 

Aurora, a girl, and Kellan, a boy, were taken to bed by their father Don Starr on August 25 but decided to snuggle up in the box used to store their stuffed animals.

They ran out of oxygen and suffocated and were eventually found dead, with their arms wrapped around each other, by their older brother who assumed they were still asleep at their home in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Their mother Sadie Myers shared her heartbreak in a tribute to the twins on social media and said: 'Not many will know the pain of losing two children at the same time, and losing them in a way that makes no sense.' 

She issued a warning to parents that the toy chests become 'air tight' and 'soundproof' when closed and urged others to 'destroy it immediately'. 

Twins Kellan (left) and Aurora (right) suffocated after falling asleep in their cedar toy chest in the middle of the night

They were taken to bed by their father Don Starr (pictured) on August 25 but decided to snuggle up in the box used to store their stuffed animals  

The twins, pictured with their mother Sadie Myers and father Don, ran out of oxygen and suffocated and were eventually found dead, with their arms wrapped around each other

Myers spoke about the death of her twins on Facebook and wrote: 'Me and Don are having and extremely hard time trying to make sense of this… not many will ever know the feeling of trying to not spend EVERY WAKING SECOND crying in agony.

'So hard that it makes you fall over in pain, but we are trying soooo hard to not let our boys see us this way.   

'I have to believe that something in this universe chose them specifically, maybe to protect them from some future tragedy, or maybe because their souls were too perfect for this world.'

She was working on the night of the incident so her husband Don put their four children to bed. 

But the twins woke up at some point early on Saturday and decided to play together using the wooden chest. 

Their mother said they would get up at odd hours and would find them sleeping in various places in the morning with toys scattered across their shared room. 

'Friday night, the weird place they decided to snuggle up and go back to sleep was in their cedar toy chest that we use to store all their stuffed animals,' she wrote. 

The twins took out most of the stuffed animals and kept a few to provide a layer of cushioning but fell asleep with their arms draped across each other. 

She woke up on Saturday morning and panicked when she saw they were not in bed and were not immediately visible. 

The family raced around trying to find the twins before one of their older brothers opened the chest and saw them, he was unaware they were dead. 

He said: 'Mommy! I found them! They are so silly just sleeping in the toy box.'

The twins woke up at some point early on Saturday and decided to play together using the wooden chest

Aurora and Kellan, pictured with their older brothers, would often get up at odd hours and would be found sleeping in various places in the morning with toys scattered across their room

They took out most of the stuffed animals and kept a few to provide a layer of cushioning but fell asleep with their arms draped across each other

But Myers instantly realized they were dead. 'I went to check and within a few seconds I knew something wasn't right, but I also quickly realized it was already too late,' she said.   

She assumes they wished each other goodnight before falling asleep. 'Good night, Kell Kell,' Aurora would tell her twin. While Kellan would respond: 'Night night, sissy.'

The heartbroken mother warned parents about how dangerous the cedar toy chest can be.

'Something I did not know and I'm sure many others don't know is that most wooden toy chests once closed are AIR TIGHT and also sound proof,' she wrote.

'I hope knowing this helps in some way, and I hope if you have a toy box like this that you destroy it immediately!

'So as they slept, all snuggled up together, they slowly ran out of oxygen within a couple of hours and passed away.

'They never even knew it was happening. There was no sudden gasp for air, it was a very slow transition from sleep to passing on…'

Myers said she had tied the wooden chest shut but the kids had begged her to open it so they could play with the stuffed toys inside it. 

'I still made sure to have something tied on the latch so that the kids couldn't lock each other in and so it wouldn't latch shut if closed, unfortunately that didn't prevent it from being airtight if closed,' she said. 

The older boys have been staying with family members as the parents deal with the loss of the twins.

'They have been with family for the past week because we don't want to emotionally scar them seeing us like this, and they need to be away from all the triggers that could cause them to be in our same state,' Myers wrote.

Their mother Sadie Myers, pictured with her four children, shared her heartbreak in a tribute to the twins on social media and said: 'Not many will know the pain of losing two children at the same time, and losing them in a way that makes no sense'

She issued a warning to parents that the toy chests become 'air tight' and 'soundproof' when closed and urged others to 'destroy it immediately'

She added: 'We will be going to family therapy sessions to try and help that… Me and Don have explained to them that death is a part of life and that they did an amazing job giving their baby brother and sister the best four years possible.

'We were so very LUCKY to get the gift of having the twins with us for even a short time because they changed us all for the better and brought sooo much light and love into our lives, every second with those twins was full of laughter, silliness, dancing, silly questions and funny faces, games and jokes, happiness and LOVE!!!'

Deputies from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department arrived at the property but could not save them. They kept details about the tragedy at a minimum to protect the family's privacy.

A fundraising page was set up on GoFundMe by Myers' sister Deanna and more than $17,000 has been raised for the family so far.

The twins' aunt said Starr worked during the day and her sister worked at night so they did not have to leave their children with a babysitter.

'They both worked full-time jobs, one in the morning and one in the evening so they would never have to leave the children alone with a sitter,' she wrote.

'I know they were always exhausted but they were still able to be so present and so loving with each of their four children, every single day, no exceptions.'

She added: 'This accident was one of those absolutely inconceivable things you can't imagine or plan for or believe was even possible.'

Non-profit organization Kids in Danger has revealed that at least 34 children have died in incidents involving toy chests since 2014, according to data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

More than 21,500 toy chests have been recalled since 2005 due to hazards including strangulation, entrapment, injury, and lead poisoning.

How To Tell If You Have Asthma

The classic symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, tightness in your chest, and feeling short of breath, according to the Mayo Clinic. But other conditions — like allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, and post nasal drip — can trigger the same problems.

Take allergies, for example. People who are allergic to mold could develop a cough or wheeze if they're exposed to the fungus. People with insect allergies can experience chest tightness and difficulty breathing if they're stung by a bee or wasp.

One way to distinguish between allergy and asthma symptoms: Allergies occur in the upper-respiratory system and go hand-in-hand with nasal congestion, sinus pain, and nasal drip, which can cause airway irritation and coughing, says Thomas Asciuto, MD, the medical director of pulmonary services at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Asthma, on the other hand, affects the airways that carry air to and from your lungs.

Complicating matters, some people experience asthma attacks if they're exposed to certain allergens, especially cockroaches, mold, and dust mites.

And while asthma is by far the most common cause of a chronic, persistent cough, other culprits can include postnasal drip, sleep apnea, gastric reflux, and COPD, says Dr. Asciuto.

RELATED: The Basics of Post-Nasal Drip

RELATED: Could Your Sore Throat Be Caused By 'Silent Reflux'?

The Basics of Diagnosing Asthma

Your doctor will probably start your examination by delving into your past medical history and asking whether any of your relatives have allergies or asthma. You'll also be asked to describe your symptoms, their severity, and what, if anything, is triggering them.

"Triggers could include cold air, dust, hairsprays, perfumes, household cleaner vapors, cigarette or cigar smoke, and air pollution," Asciuto says.

Doctors also try to narrow down the list of culprits by asking these additional questions:

Is your cough worse at night? One study found that 75% of people with asthma have worse symptoms at night.

Do you have more symptoms when you're at home or at work?

Do you have other health problems that could be causing these symptoms, such as a sinus infection or acid reflux?

Does exercise or physical exertion trigger your symptoms?

Next, your doctor will listen to your breathing with a stethoscope and may order one or more of these diagnostic tests:

Spirometry, a breathing test that shows how well your lungs are functioning by measuring how much air you can breathe in and out. Spirometry also measures how fast you can exhale. You'll be asked to repeat the test after using a bronchodilator, an inhaled medication that opens airways, to see whether it improves your breathing. If it does, you most likely have asthma, says Stanley Fineman, MD, who practices with the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic and is a past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Allergy testing, which can determine if any allergens are negatively affecting your breathing. This is often done by means of a skin test, in which the suspected allergens are diluted and applied to your skin through a prick or puncture or with a very thin needle, according to the Mayo Clinic. The allergist then observes your skin for about 15 minutes to see whether you develop an allergic response.

Chest X-ray, which creates a picture of your lungs and ribs to determine whether your airways are blocked. An X-ray is often used to rule out other causes of asthma-like symptoms, such as pneumonia, heart failure, lung cancer, and tuberculosis.

IgE blood test, which detects your levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE antibodies are a type of protein in your body produced by your immune system when it thinks something is harmful, like pollen or certain foods. If your levels are elevated, you may have allergic asthma.

It's also important to note that you can have asthma without experiencing any of the hallmark symptoms. There's no single patient profile for asthma, says Dr. Fineman. "Some will have more coughing, some more wheezing, and some have more problems breathing with exercise," he says.

When to See a Specialist About Your Asthma

Asthma is not always easy to diagnose, Fineman says, but you should see your doctor if you're having repeated episodes of wheezing and coughing or shortness of breath. If you're diagnosed with the condition, work with your doctor to develop an asthma management and action plan.

Although your primary care doctor may be able to diagnose and treat your asthma, if your symptoms don't respond to a first-line therapy of inhaled corticosteroids and short-acting bronchodilators, Asciuto recommends that you see a lung specialist or allergy and asthma specialist.

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