Jess Wright, known for her appearances on the popular reality television series The Only Way Is Essex, has shared a harrowing account of a bouncy castle accident involving her four-year-old son, Presley. The incident, which took place two weeks ago at a birthday party, saw Presley 'pinged off' the inflatable and land approximately three metres away on a hard surface, leading to a terrifying period where he was unable to breathe.
Wright, alongside her husband William Lee-Kemp, described the frantic moments when they realised Presley had stopped breathing and began to turn blue. She recounted on ITV's This Morning that while the period lasted only 10 to 15 seconds, it felt like an eternity. The couple immediately called an ambulance, fearing the worst, a concern compounded by Presley's pre-existing heart condition, bicuspid aortic valve, which means his heart valve has two flaps instead of the usual three.
Thankfully, Presley began breathing again as medical assistance arrived and became more alert once at the hospital. While acknowledging the accident was a 'complete one-off', Wright felt compelled to share her experience to highlight the potential for serious incidents and encourage parents to be vigilant. Her appearance on the daytime programme aimed to raise awareness that such a frightening event 'can happen' to anyone.
Providing an update on Presley's recovery, Wright confirmed he is now doing well, although 'slightly traumatised' by the experience. The incident caused a chilling silence across the party, with Wright previously stating the sound of Presley's fall would 'haunt me, I’m sure', describing it as the 'scariest day of my life'.
Accompanying Wright on This Morning, inflatables safety expert Craig Whitelock-Wainwright offered crucial advice for parents. He stressed the importance of thoroughly researching any company from which inflatables are hired, ensuring they have passed necessary safety inspections. Furthermore, he recommended that crash mats always be positioned next to the open sides of bouncy castles and that children using them are 'properly supervised' by an adult who is aware of potential dangers.
This Morning, the programme where Jess Wright shared her story, is available to watch on demand via ITVX, ITV's streaming service.
Source: This Morning (ITV)