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Family's Experience A Warning About Carbon Monoxide Dangers

What was supposed to be a morning of opening Christmas presents turned into a day at the hospital for a family of five over the weekend.

The experience of the Collins family from Englewood should be a message for all families about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Levels of the gas inside the rental home on South Logan Street got too high, making them all sick. The family says it started with a leak in the furnace. They say they had a CO detector inside but did not hear it ring because they batteries were bad.

The entire family began to feel weak: the two girls, grandma and mom and dad. The grandmother was found crawling on the floor. The five year old was violently sick and passing out. That's when everyone got out of the house.

The dad, David Collins, went back inside to rescue the family gifts. He says he also checked the CO detector and realized the batteries were bad. He has this message.

"Check your batteries. If you think the detector is faulty, go get another one. They don't cost much."

Instead of opening gifts next to a tree, the Collins family spent their Christmas morning being treated with oxygen. The doctor who treated them said "a few more hours in the house and we would not be sending these people home."

Firefighters say make sure you have a working CO detector in your home. Check the batteries periodically -- at least twice a year.

If your CO detector goes off the fire department can come out to your house and measure the levels of carbon monoxide for your safety.

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