Racine infant dies after choking on balloon while celebrating Halloween

Racine infant dies after choking on balloon while celebrating Halloween The baby boy died days before his first birthday after a trunk-or-treat event Advertisement Updated: 6:46 PM CST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Jasmine Franklin Reporter Racine infant dies after choking on balloon while celebrating Halloween The baby boy died days before his first birthday after a trunk-or-treat event Updated: 6:46 PM CST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Jasmine Franklin Reporter KENOSHA, Wis. — An 11-month-old baby was killed after accidentally swallowing and choking on a balloon from a Halloween event. The mother of Don'vyaire Avitia-Mays wants to share an important warning for parents on balloon safety. Advertisement "I lost my baby boy within a matter of five seconds. There was nothing I could have done to save his life," Kisha Avitia-Wilson said. Wilson said on Oct. 24 she took her baby boy, Don'vyaire, to a trunk-or-treat event in Racine. But on their drive home, she heard a loud sound coming from the backseat. "Two of the balloons had just popped, and one had come undone," Wilson said. Wilson said within seconds, her 11-month-old baby swallowed a piece of the balloon. She immediately pulled over on Sheridan Road, called police, and then desperately tried to save her son. "I looked at him; he was blue. I tried to dig my fingers down his throat; I tried CPR, everything I could," Wilson said. Kenosha police said officers responded to the scene within minutes. Emergency crews tried to do everything they could to save the baby boy, but it was too late. Wilson, who was 31 weeks pregnant at the time, says the stress caused her to go into labor early. "It was just very heavy on me, and I contracted the whole day because it was heavy on me. I just wanted to make it to my baby boy's funeral," Wilson said. She brought one son into the world on Wednesday, then buried a son on Friday. Don'vyaire never made it to his first birthday. Wilson wants to share her story as a warning for all parents. "I just want all mothers to know balloons are dangerous. This can happen to anyone's child, and I just want my son to be the last child," Wilson said. On Nov. 11 Don'vyaire's family is hosting a fundraiser with Culver's on Douglass Avenue in Racine. Twenty-five percent of proceeds raised from noon to 9 p.m. will support his family when customers mention "Baby Don" at checkout. His family has also created a GoFundMe . Make WISN a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Ole Miss student apologizes after video showing women making racist gestures sparks backlash Video: Drone delivers food to ape stranded during Florida flooding Public health alert issued for three frozen meat products, USDA warns Paul McCartney achieves billionaire status, becomes world’s third-richest musician