The 5-year-old girl lay limp in her father’s arms, fast asleep, as he rushed her into the doors of the pediatric emergency department.
“We can’t wake her up,” he pleaded, eyes wide and voice rushed with desperation.
“Maddie’s never slept this deeply. It’s strange,” he continued frantically. “She fell asleep in the car on the way home from camping. We yelled, pinched her, splashed cold water on her face. She just stays zonked.”
She looked like Sleeping Beauty; her cheeks were pink and her breathing comfortable, yet her eyes remained closed. I rubbed her breastbone with my knuckle — a trick that usually wakes kids up — and she didn’t flinch or awaken. A thorough physical exam revealed no signs of injury or illness. Her heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels were perfectly typical for her age. She was simply unrousable.
