The last time I saw my parents alive was the day after my wedding, Sunday, August 5, 2007.
Sometime between Friday, October 12, 2007 at 8:00 PM and Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 8:00 AM they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A faulty water heater in their kitchen emitted carbon monoxide into their home and killed them.
They were 61 and 58 respectively… too young to die.
November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness month in California, but frankly it should be throughout the world. Every day should be.
I implore you to make sure your home and all of your loved ones homes have a working carbon monoxide detector/alarm. You can get one as low as $18.00 at Home Depot. If you do not have a CO detector and comment on and share this post, I will personally purchase one for you. If you do have one, please make sure the batteries are still good. We change ours every time the time changes.
As of July 1, 2011 state law requires owners of single family homes with attached garages to install carbon monoxide alarms in every California home. In addition, all other dwellings, like apartments, were required to have an alarm as of January 1, 2013.
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people and sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, and many types of appliances and cooking devices. The best way for homeowners to stay protected from CO is to have a carbon monoxide alarm installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area. A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a CO alarm. Having a CO alarm is a small investment that can truly help save your life and the lives of your family.
The dangers of CO are real, please keep your family and friends safe.
For more information on carbon monoxide visit the CAL FIRE Web site. _______________________________________________________
Day 17: I’m thankful for silence, peace and quiet, a place where I can find healing, listen to my deepest intuition and hear the wise whispers of the divine. Shhhh…. #30daysofgratitude
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Thank you for your very important message, Tonya. I am sorry though that you have to be the messenger due to the tragic circumstances. xoxo
I am so sorry about your parents, Tonya. I hope that you can find peace in knowing that you are saving lives with your reminders of this silent killer, and how we can easily avoid a tragedy like the one you experienced. Much love to you. xo
Tonya I always think of you when we put new batteries in our CO alarm. I hope that’s not weird. I was never good about remembering to check it until I started reading your blog. It’s possible that because of you (and your mom and dad), our lives may be saved. Thank you.
I am so sorry about your parents, Tonya!
We’ve had a CO detector in our house and the motorhome for a while, CO is scary.
Thanks for writing this!
These are the kinds of things we do not think about so the fact that you are raising awareness is SO very important. I am so sorry, always, for the untimely loss of your parents, Tonya.
I didn’t know that was how or when they died. So heartbreaking. I’m going to order a CO monitor now.
I am so very sorry for the loss of your parents, Tonya.
This is such an important message.
I’m so sorry to learn this about you, but thank you for spreading this message. I have an attached garage but no carbon monoxide detector….but not for long!
We have one. I’m glad you’re spreading this message, even though it came at such a cost.
This is a great post and it really is important that we educate people of this silent killer so no one else will ever have to experience the loss that we did.
Oh you, this is so very important. Thank you for using your voice in this way!