A brave mother has shared harrowing video of her little boy to warn other parents about the dangers of croup.
Little Tanner had just gone to bed when he stumbled out of his bedroom “gasping for air.”
The concerned mum said he was making a noise she “will never forget”.
Tanner suffered from a bout of croup, a respiratory infection common in babies and children.
“The fear in his eyes with every breath he took was compounded by the stress,” she wrote in a post explaining the ordeal.
Tiny Hearts Education Instagramled by first responder Nikki and her sister Rachel, shared a video of the youngster to help other parents.
To slow his breathing, Tanner’s parents gave him his asthma pump and something to drink, but nothing helped.
“I lifted his top to watch his chest, and then I realized, we had an emergency,” his mother said.
In the video, young Tanner can be seen struggling for breath as his chest heaves violently.
“The noises he started making were horrific, I feared for his life,” she explained.
According to the NHS, children with croup have a characteristic barking cough and make a harsh noise called stridor when they breathe in.
They may also have a hoarse voice and difficulty breathing because their airways are blocked.
As Tanner’s breathing worsened, he paled and his lips turned blue — a typical sign of oxygen starvation.
Paramedics who rushed to the scene of the accident treated the little boy in the driveway.
Paramedics told Tanner’s mother they had never seen a child with such shortness of breath.
The 4 Signs of Croup
Look out for these signs of croup:
- a barking cough that sounds like a seal (you can search online to hear examples)
- a hoarse voice
- difficulty breathing
- a rasping sound when inhaling
Your little one will usually initially have cold-like symptoms such as a fever, runny nose and cough.
Symptoms of croup usually appear after a few days and often worsen at night.
If you’re worried or think your child is getting worse, call NHS 111.


Occasionally your child may be referred to the hospital if they are seriously ill or are less than three months old.