14 years after her daughter's tragic death, one mother is still fighting a 'silent killer'

Now, Dorothy Kesling, a grieving mother, is sharing the painful experience of losing her daughter, Lindsey

PUBLISHED 4 DAYS AGO

Lindsey, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Indiana, had just moved to Scottsdale to start her career.

Scottsdale, Arizona: Carbon monoxide poisoning, often referred to as the "silent killer", continues to claim lives across the US. Recently two Arizona families mourne the tragic loss of their sons, 18-year-old Romeo Alvarez and 17-year-old Marcus Lee, who died from apparent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. The young men were discovered in a Chandler apartment garage, reportedly after spending time together with the car running in the enclosed space.

Now, Dorothy Kesling, a grieving mother, is sharing the painful experience of losing her daughter, Lindsey, to carbon monoxide poisoning in Scottsdale 14 years ago. In November 2010, Lindsey accidentally left her car running overnight in her garage. Carbon monoxide fumes leaked into her home, resulting in her death. Neighbors reported flu-like symptoms that led them to the emergency room, only to discover they were exposed to the toxic gas.

Lindsey, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Indiana, had just moved to Scottsdale to start her career. Dorothy described her daughter as having a promising future ahead. “She worked so hard to graduate and had the whole world in front of her,” Dorothy said. “How could this happen?”

To honor her daughter’s memory, Dorothy founded the Lindsey O’Brien Kesling Wishing Tree Foundation. The organization hosts educational events about carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and provides thousands of CO alarms to families. Dorothy hopes to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy. “It is preventable and should not happen,” she told Arizona's Family.

In Arizona, homes and apartments built after 2013 are required to have CO detectors installed outside each sleeping area. However, Dorothy and others advocate comprehensive legislation, such as mandatory alarms in garages and older buildings. Schools and daycare facilities in Arizona are also required to install CO alarms.

“We’re required to have fire alarms in nearly every building, but that’s not the case with carbon monoxide detectors,” Dorothy told the network.

Dorothy urges families to install CO detectors not just in their homes but also in garages and other potential danger zones. “We must turn periods into commas,” she said.

The families had last celebrated together on Sunday, marking Romeo’s mother’s birthday. — Recently two Arizona families mourned the tragic loss of their sons, 18-year-old Romeo Alvarez (pictured) and 17-year-old Marcus Lee

In 2022, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,244 deaths attributed to CO poisoning. Of these, 624 were accidental, and 579 were suicides. Additionally, there were 511 deaths where CO was involved but not the primary cause, with most of these being fire-related.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has observed an upward trend in CO fatalities associated with consumer products. In 2019, there were an estimated 250 such deaths, marking a 69% increase from 2009. Portable generators were linked to 40% of these fatalities since 2009, highlighting the risks associated with their use.

Emergency department visits due to unintentional, non-fire-related CO poisoning are also notable. Annually, there are approximately 5,593 emergency department visits, 825 hospitalizations, and 422 deaths in the US attributed to such incidents.