4-year-old twins suffocate inside toy chest as they slept, mom warns parents of hidden danger
Family tragedy prompts urgent warning about airtight wooden chests and child safety in the home
A Florida mother is warning other parents after her 4-year-old twins died in their sleep inside a toy chest, not realizing it was airtight and soundproof.
Sadie Myers and her husband, Don Starr, bought a large cedar chest to store stuffed animals and toys for their children. On the night of the tragedy in 2023, Don tucked their children into bed while Sadie was at work. When she got home, she checked on them before going to sleep herself.
But at some point during the night, twins Kellan and Aurora crawled out of bed. Instead of returning to sleep in their room, they climbed into the toy chest, arranging the stuffed animals to make it comfortable.
Sadie believes they likely hugged each other, whispered goodnight, and drifted off to sleep—unaware of the danger.
The hidden danger of wooden toy chests
Sadie explained in her emotional post that she never knew old wooden toy chests could be airtight.
“Most wooden toy chests once closed are AIR TIGHT and also sound proof,” she wrote. “So as they slept, all snuggled up together, they slowly ran out of oxygen within a couple of hours and passed away.”
She said her twins didn’t suffer or wake up struggling for breath. Instead, they slipped away quietly in their sleep.
When the family woke up the next morning and saw the twins’ beds empty, they began searching the house. One of the older children eventually spotted them inside the toy chest.
“Mommy, I found them! They are so silly just sleeping in the toy box,” he said.
But Sadie immediately realized something was terribly wrong. Despite rushing to check, she knew it was already too late.
Parents urge others to act now
Sadie shared her story to prevent another family from experiencing the same tragedy. She pleaded with parents to check their homes and get rid of any airtight storage chests.
“I hope if you have a toy box like this that you destroy it immediately,” she wrote.
Her husband Don later echoed her grief online, admitting he had struggled to find words while hoping it was just a nightmare.
“My beautiful family was stricken by tragedy—the loss of our beautiful perfect twins,” he wrote. “Please send all of the love, strength and good energy you can muster up to Sadie, my beautiful big boys and me.”
Kellan and Aurora’s deaths have left their family shattered, but their parents hope sharing this warning will save lives.
Their message is clear: even something as ordinary as a toy chest can pose a hidden danger. Parents are urged to inspect storage furniture in their homes and make safety changes immediately.
Rest in peace, Kellan and Aurora.
