It was supposed to be a fun day at the water park: when a fun filled, full day, turned into a very FRANTIC 12 MINUTES……
This is where K8ebands began
K8e (5) and her little sister were playing on the water apparatus. K8e requires our full attention at all times; she is autistic. As we watched her, running, jumping, splashing, and laughing we beamed with joy. A safe place for her to be, with us, but allowed to have some freedom within this section of the park. The kiddie section.
We hear her sister call our names, “watch this, watch this!” she exclaimed, perched at the top of a slide. She slid down the slide and we both laughed with her and clapped in appraisal, never leaving the spot we were in with K8e. When we turned our heads back towards K8e, SHE WAS GONE!
We instantly split up, one of us grabbed sister, while we both scanned the kiddie pool area, fear starting to build…..IT WAS A SPILT SECOND. An honest second that we “owed” K8e’s sister, so we felt. I could hear K8e’s name being called, people sitting poolside started raising their heads and lifting their glasses as the commotion started rising. A parents worst nightmare…..they knew, they were obviously parents or grandparents too.
Once we realized k8e had left the kiddie pool section, we started notifying the life guards, as we searched, and yelled, throughout the park. You see, K8e was a “darter”. She has been known to run, and run fast! She could honestly be anywhere by this point. It’s only been a couple minutes.
The wave pool? The tall steps to the slides? With a stranger?! At the bottom of the pool?!
SHE IS 5 and non-verbal!
My heart was sinking deep into my chest. How could this happen! Frantic had set in.
It appeared we had everyone within the very large, water park, that was within ear shot, helping us look for K8e. Although, I felt like I was the ONLY one looking. Tears starting to roll down my face, blurring my vision. Repeating the question to myself, “how could this happen?”
Just as the park manager was starting to announce, “the park gates will be locked down….”
A young woman, in a red swimsuit appeared from around a corner, WITH MY K8e holding her hand! Praise God, she had been found. SAFE.
What if my I had been notified as soon as K8e left our “safe zone”………K8ebands.com
