This hits home. When I was about 15, over the course of a year or so, my mother gradually descended into a lethargic, apathetic mess that I vaguely ascribed to

This hits home. When I was about 15, over the course of a year or so, my mother gradually descended into a lethargic, apathetic mess that I vaguely ascribed to depression. Then one day my three year old sister stopped breathing while watching TV. She turned purple, collapsed, and if not for her amazing childminder calling an ambulance and giving her CPR until it arrived would have died. Turned out, the bricks on our gas fire had been arranged incorrectly and CO (carbon monoxide) leaking into the house for over a year. My mum's bizarre mental decline was chronic CO poisoning, while my sister's episode was acute CO poisoning. My sister recovered and was fine. I'm not sure my mum ever fully recovered. Both could very easily have died. If you have gas appliances, for the sake of your family, please get a CO detector.