A wrong turn on the way to work would soon evolve into the tragic end for ten month old "Mikey", who lay sleeping and forgotten in the back of his father's car.
Three years later "Mikey's" father shares his story at 4rkidssakes.org, ". . . the route to both work and daycare is basically the same from my house, but at the last intersection, I must turn one way instead of the other. On that day, after a change of my usual morning routine, I lost my concentration and by force of habit drove to work instead of daycare. Mikey, meanwhile, had fallen asleep in the back. I got out of the car without remembering he was there, walked up to my office, and shattered all our dreams."
Similar stories are being heard year after year as children become victims of hyperthermia, hypothermia, back-overs, trunk entrapment, seat belt entanglement and many other dangers linked to vehicles.
With today's hectic lives and demanding schedules are increasing our need to save time, and the phrase, "I'll only be a minute," is thought and spoken by parent's everyday. A quick trip to the ATM, a chat with a friend, or a run into the store is unpredictable in length and circumstance. A simple hold up at the check out could have deadly consequences.
Three year old Harrison and his mother would have to pay the price of those words, "I'll only be a minute," as she shares her story with 4rkidssake.org.
"Two children (ages 2 and 3) were left unattended inside a van that was running while their parents stood behind the van talking to relatives. One of the children playing behind the wheel shifted the van into gear. The idle on the van, set higher than normal, caused the van to jump a curb stop and race through the park."
Both Harrison and his mother were struck head on by the van, Harrison did not survive, but his mother lived to tell the story.
She said, "Weeks before Harrison's death a local storeowner had warned that mother not to leave her toddlers unattended in a running van. She disregarded the advice and now we suffer the consequences. Since our tragedy we have found hundreds of incidents where children shifted a vehicle into motion. Most of the time the car hits a lifeless object. Those people are lucky and sustain only monetary damages. We wish we were that fortunate. The ultimate nightmare has happened to us."
Harrison and "Mikey's" parents learned through their heartbreaking experiences that events like theirs, unfortunately, happen more often then you think.
This year alone, through the organization of 4rkidssakes.org, 366 occurrences of injury and death concerning unattended children left in or around vehicles have been recorded. As a result of these incidents, 455 involved children and 75 ended in death.
Kaitlyn's Law, which was signed by California's Governor Davis in 2001, makes it illegal to leave children 6 and under in or around cars unattended. To do so, could land the accountable person a $100 dollar fine, or require economically disadvantage offenders to complete a community education program, that includes learning about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles.
Purple ribbon month may be over, but there are plenty of things you can do to raise awareness and help keep kids safe all year long no matter what state you live in.
Prevention Tips:
Always take your children with you, even if you are only going to be a minute!
Get into the habit of putting your purse, briefcase, lunch and other items into the back of the car where the children are. Doing this means that you have to look into the back seat, and may prevent you from forgetting about a sleeping child.
Make arrangements with your daycare or other provider to call you immediately if your child does not show up.
Call your spouse at a designated time to let them know that the child has been dropped off. If your partner doesn't get a call from you by a certain time, then they can contact you right away.
Lock the your vehicle and place the keys in a location where children cannot get to them.
Make time to ensure that your children are safely in the house before you leave, and walk around your car before backing up to make sure the way is clear. 29 children have been killed this year by back-overs, don't let it happen to yours.
There are many devices available on the market today to help you prevent accidents, such as backup detectors, on board video cameras, monitors to sense children left in the car after the adult has left. All of these things can help you keep your children safe.
Keep in mind that this doesn't have to end with your own children. If you come across children who have been left alone in the car, do the right thing and call the police, it can save lives.
Get Involved:
No matter where you live, you can raise awareness to an entirely preventable occurrence and help bring an end to this needless tragedy.
4 R Kids Sakes is located in California, if you would like to help them in their mission to keep kids safe from injury and death related to vehicles, you can make a donation, volunteer, or place an order.
You can visit their website at http://www.4rkidssakes.org for more information or to place an order for t-shirts, purple ribbons, bracelets, and other various items.
If you would like to donate, please send your tax-deductible donation to:
4 R Kids Sake PO Box 77693 Corona, CA 92877-0122 Tax ID # 33-0932606