Mom Speaks Out About What Caused Her 10-Year-Old Daughter's Death On Michigan Water Slide
Live in the moment and cherish your family.
karnizz / Shutterstock London Eisenbeis, a 10-year-old gymnast who loved cats, tragically died from cardiac arrest after riding on a 273-foot water slide in Michigan.
It’s the biggest slide at Zehnder’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth.
After finally being tall enough to be able to go on the ride, the excitement proved to be too overwhelming and sent her heart into an abnormal rhythm.
"She gave her dad two thumbs up. She was so excited to go down this slide cause she waited two years to go down this slide, to be big enough, and comes out the bottom code blue,” said her mother, Tina.
The always-positive London was then rushed to the hospital where she was put on life support and died nine days later on February 27.
She was laid to rest on March 3 in a dress she had picked out for her daddy-daughter dance at school.
“She was buried in the dress,” Tina said. “I didn’t have a chance to buy shoes. She looked like an angel with her dress and no shoes. She really did look like a sleeping beauty.”
Her family only learned after her death that London was suffering from Long QT syndrome, a rare condition that can cause fainting, seizures, or even sudden death.
Tina recently spoke out about the tragic death of her daughter to inform and raise awareness about "hidden" heart conditions and the significance of defibrillators.
Had they been used on London, she may still be alive today.
Attempts to save London’s life did not include the use of defibrillators, which may have been able to re-establish a rhythm in her heart, according to Tina.
“You have to respond, you don’t have time to wait,” Tina said. “I think people are afraid of defibrillators, but they’re very easy to use. They’re what is needed to bring back the rhythm.”
“The slide she went down has a heartbeat sound at the top that my husband said made it even scarier,” Tina said. “Who would have ever thought she would come out the bottom without one?”
Tina and her husband, Jerry, set up a non-profit organization in memory of their daughter and in her name. The London Strong Foundation seeks to bring focus to Long QT and other heart-related conditions in order to save lives.
The foundation also donates to pet rescue centers, in honor of London who had a deep adoration for cats.
As the three-year anniversary of London’s passing comes around, Tina said it’s difficult to accept the events that have happened to them.
"I don't know when it will feel real. I feel like she's in school right now and I am waiting for her to get off the bus,” Tina said.
In a message to other parents, Tina stressed the importance of living in the moment.
“You never know when it’s going to happen. You never think it’s going to happen to you and this is not a club you want to be part of,” she said. “Cherish every moment you have with your family.”
Click here to support the London Strong Foundation.
Tomás Diniz Santos is a writer living in Orlando, Florida. He covers news, entertainment, and pop culture topics.