Parents warn of space heater danger after son almost dies


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PROVO — An 11-month-old boy overheated and nearly died because the space heater in his room never turned off, his parents said.

Nico and Abbie Pesci said they set the gauge on a space in their son's room to 75 degrees on Tuesday since the room was starting to get cold during the night. It's something they say they've done dozens of times before, but this time something went wrong.

Nico Jr. is a curious and happy baby. His first birthday is just a couple days away. You would never be able to tell by looking at him the ordeal his little body went through.

"I walked into his room (Wednesday morning) and it was a sauna," said Nico Pesci. "It was 100 plus degrees. I picked him up and turned him around and he didn't look like my kid."

He found the heater still plugged into the wall, in the upright position but flashing zeros instead of the room temperature.

"His face was sunken in, his eyes were sunken in, and his lips were orange," Pesci said.

The Pescis called 911 and paramedics rushed the baby to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Doctors found him suffering from massive heat stroke, and his system had started to shut down.


His face was sunken in, his eyes were sunken in, and his lips were orange.

–Nico Pesci, father


"The way the doctor explained it was he went to bed with the kidneys of a 12-month-old and went to the hospital with the kidneys of a 90-year-old," said Pesci. "They just weren't working."

After two days in the hospital, Nico was released and remarkably has no permanent damage. The Pescis said they were aware of potential fire dangers associated with space heaters, so they always placed the heater in a secure place away from curtains or bedding. In this case, they believe the space heater just malfunctioned. Now, they hope other parents will hear their story and never put a space heater in a room with a child.

"Trust yourself more than you trust a piece of equipment," Pesci said.

They said they know things could have turned out much worse and they're grateful for the opportunity to be celebrating Nico's first birthday on Sunday.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends turning space heaters off when you leave the room and not using them in the same room where someone sleeping.

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Ashley Kewish

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