How to protect your child from heat-related illnesses as heatwave sweeps Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For 12-year-old Hudson Kennedy, a short bike ride on Memorial Day quickly turned into a medical scare.

Kennedy was riding his bike with his friend Jake Lott near Maple and Beyhmer on Monday.

He says soon after stopping, he started to feel sick, nauseous and lightheaded.

"I just lay there. I was super sick, I don't remember much either because it happened so fast," he says.

Kennedy didn't have his phone, but luckily, two passersby stopped to help, one of whom was a nurse who helped cool him down with a cold compress before Jake's mother came to pick both the boys up.

Melanie Warner, Kennedy's mother, says her son didn't have breakfast or drink water before he headed out.

"When I went to pick him up at their house, he was weak. For 20-30 minutes he couldn't physically get up," she says.

Carmela Sosa, a pediatrician at Valley Children's, says kids are more susceptible to heatstroke and they may not even recognize the symptoms.

"It doesn't take too long and heat like this, particularly if they're not staying well-hydrated, if they're not staying in the shade, if they're wearing darker clothing - all of that can contribute to more rapid onset acute illness," Sosa says.

Sosa says warning signs of heat exhaustion can include sweating, weakness, muscle cramps, or even cool, clammy skin.

Fresno County health officials also say parents need to make sure to not make the deadly mistake of leaving kids in a hot car.

Fresno County health officials say since Sunday, their ambulance has responded to 18 heat-related emergencies.