These days, many parents are trying alternative ways to educate their children beyond formal education.
Among them is Singaporean influencer @fitmumwannabe who brought her son to trek to the Mount Everest base camp, which sits at an altitude above 5,000 meters, along with her husband.
Source: @fitmumwannabe on Instagram
However, the 4-year-old boy became very ill along the way, forcing the family to abandon the trek to seek medical attention.
The incident caused a stir on social media, with many saying that bringing a child to such a high altitude is dangerous.
Singaporean mom and influencer @fitmumwannabe chronicled their trek to the Everest base camp on her Instagram account.
In her posts, it is seen that they trekked for almost 4 to 9 hours each day. Due to the increasing altitude, they also had to take medication.
On the seventh day of their hike, their child started vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea after eating a lollipop. His oxygen levels also began to decrease the next day.
Source: @fitmumwannabe on Instagram
On the ninth day, they had to abandon the trek as their son’s condition “didn’t improve”. His oxygen saturation (SpO2) dropped to worrying levels, so after a teleconsult with a doctor, they decided to “raise the white flag”.
They called for a helicopter evacuation, but the weather did not permit it. Instead, they descended 300 meters on horseback to bring the child to a nearby medical centre for treatment.
At the same time, videos narrated by the boy’s father were posted on the child’s Instagram page, @engagingatlas.
The 4-year-old’s Instagram bio states that he is in a “pre-school gap year” to travel around the world. They plan to visit over 30 countries non-stop in a span of two years.
Source: @engagingatlas on Instagram
On her Instagram, the boy’s mother shared the reasoning behind their trek to the Everest base camp:
“Some say we are crazy to bring a four-year-old up to EBC, but I can’t think of another activity where the whole family struggles together yet finds it age-appropriate for everyone. There’s no better place to demonstrate and learn resilience, kindness, and compassion. The mountains, vast and majestic, humbled us all.”
The videos of the family’s experience caused a stir on social media, with many people saying it was a “poor decision” to bring a child to such high altitude.
Source: @fitmumwannabe on Instagram
One commenter highlighted that even most adults could not handle the trek and that the situation “could have ended very badly”.
However, some left encouraging comments, with a few saying the family inspired them to consider bringing their child to trek the Everest base camp.
Source: @engagingatlas on Instagram
Also read: 5-year-old boy becomes youngest S’porean to conquer Everest Base Camp
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Featured image adapted from @fitmumwannabe on Instagram
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