Skip to content
1 min left · finish 5:06 AM
Email
I
Wheaton Current
Illini CurrentWheaton: DuPage County seat, college town charm
Good evening, Columbus☀️54°F · Clear
GovernmentSchoolsCommunityBusinessSportsReal EstateTechnologyDiningArtsHealthSearchSaved

Advertisement · Why this ad?

  1. Home
  2. /Health
  3. /Mother warns of balloon dangers after toddler dies days before first birthday
Health

Mother warns of balloon dangers after toddler dies days before first birthday

Nick Martinez
Nick Martinez
Nick Martinez
Reporter · Chicago, IL

Nick Martinez is a public health reporter who earned his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Chicago. Having previously worked with ProPublica, he focuses on health equity issues affecting the Chicago community.

More from Nick →
Reporter · Friday, October 30, 2026 at 4:22 PM · 1 min read
Text size
Typeface
Line spacing
Theme
Focus mode
Email
Mother warns of balloon dangers after toddler dies days before first birthday — Wheaton Health news

The mother of a toddler is sharing her heartbreaking story so other families don’t have to experience a similar tragedy. On Oct. 24th, Kisha Avita-Wilson said she was with her family at a trunk-or-treat event in Kenosha, where her older children received balloon animals. “We were keeping the balloons away from Baby Don, and one of the balloons came undone,” said Avita-Wilson. “He grabbed it, and he bit it and when he bit it, it shot the tied-up part into the bottom of his esophagus. I grabbed him immediately out of his car seat. I performed CPR … I stuck my fingers down his throat. The person that I was with tried to do the same things also, and he turned blue immediately and went into cardiac arrest.” Avita-Wilson said they prayed that Baby Don would survive, but he died two days before his first birthday. “The ambulance came so fast and stuck the tube down his throat and the pliers down his throat. It was nothing that we could have done to save my baby boy, she said.

Up nextTherapy dog program helps stroke patients recover at suburban hospitalHealth · 1 min read

More Health stories

Therapy dog program helps stroke patients recover at suburban hospital — NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ)
Health

Therapy dog program helps stroke patients recover at suburban hospital

By Nick Martinez

Owner of suburban coffee shop charged with selling methamphetamine to undercover officer — NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ)
Health

Owner of suburban coffee shop charged with selling methamphetamine to undercover officer

By Nick Martinez

Chicago doctor saves kitten trapped in wall using surgical tools — NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ)
Health

Chicago doctor saves kitten trapped in wall using surgical tools

By Nick Martinez

Jackson MacDonald interception, Dylan Curtis ground attack leads Sycamore to playoff win at Belvidere — Shaw Local News Network
Health

Jackson MacDonald interception, Dylan Curtis ground attack leads Sycamore to playoff win at Belvidere

By Clara Robinson

Also covering Illinois

SchaumburgBarringtonSt. CharlesGenevaBatavia
I

Wheaton Current

Part of the Illini Current Network

Wheaton: DuPage County seat, college town charm. Hyper-local community news covering 40 Illinois cities.

Sections

GovernmentSchoolsCommunityBusinessSportsReal Estate

Latest Stories

Batavia football surges in second half, defeats Lincoln-Way Central in first-round playoff matchup Jonathan Washington nets game winner, Crystal Lake South holds off Crystal Lake Central to win sectional titleMan found guilty in deadly Joliet shooting tied to 2024 murder spree, Will County officials say Coal City wins its second straight Class 1A sectional title with 1-0 win over MantenoJustice Department challenges judge's authority in Broadview Six misconduct inquiry

About

Illini Current publishes independent community news across Illinois. Local reporters. Non-partisan. Community-first.

RSS FeedNetwork Directory

© 2026 Illini Current — illinicurrent.com

PrivacyTerms

A product of Edina Automation LLC

You're offline — showing the last loaded page
HomeSearchSaved