Make 'em wear those helmets!

[emeleel]

My kids are pretty good about not complaining about their helmets when they ride their bikes or scooters, but sadly I now have a new weapon in the ol' mom arsenal if they ever do.

On Sunday evening, one of my friends at church came in and said that she was going to head to FL after church because her sister had called and said that her nephew had had a skateboard accident, resulting in a fracture and a severe concussion. My friend didn't seem too worried, although he was in ICU, but she wanted to be there for her sister, as she was having a really rough time of things. She said he did have a fracture, and some bleeding in the fluid space, but that the doctors said that the blood would eventually be absorbed. Said he knew who everyone was, but was having trouble with motor control. They were expecting him to be out of ICU and possibly out of the hospital altogether by today.

Came to church tonight to find out that her nephew is completely brain dead. Scans are all flat. He just went down, down and down until there is nothing. Doctors say he will not go home alive.

What makes this especially cruel is that not only is he an only child, but just last June, her husband commited suicide. (Oddly enough, right in the middle of this nephew being up here for a two week visit with his aunt, my friend.)

Helmets. Every time. Without fail. They are not invincible.

[jgibson2[$]]

How horrible!

[lynnzop[$]]

OMG Melanie, how horrible. I'll keep your friend in my prayers.

[hadassahchana[$]]

Melanie, my heart goes out to you and your friend. What a terrible thing to happen to anyone.

[conradd]

Oh, this is so sad. My prayers will be with this mom - I can't imagine what she's going through.

[cristina1]

Melanie, I am so sorry to hear this. What a horrible thing to happen.

[pippadaisy[$]]

But you are right. EVERY time.

Although... if it makes you feel just a bit better, one of the moms in my home schooling group has a son who was in a skiing accident this past winter. He fractured a vertebrae in his neck (I believe). I can't remember which one.

He was not wearing his helmet at the time, and his older brother was beating himself up over it. The doctor said (and admitted he was reluctant to admit it) that if he'd had the helmet on when he got in the accident, odds are the additional weight of the helmet snapping his head back would have left him paralyzed.

Only iffing doesn't help anybody. all around.

[theworm[$]]

OMG! What a horrible story! I can't imagine what that poor mom must be going through and feelling!

Helmets - yep! I wear mine. Sometimes they can be hot or itchy, but I rather be hot than dead.

[cristina1]

My kids always wear their helmets now after seeing what happened to my neighbor. She had a bike accident and was beat up pretty badly, but her helmet protected. The boys saw what the helmet looked like and realized that had she not been wearing it, that would have been her head. It was a pretty sobering example.

[emeleel]

He was not wearing his helmet at the time, and his older brother was beating himself up over it. The doctor said (and admitted he was reluctant to admit it) that if he'd had the helmet on when he got in the accident, odds are the additional weight of the helmet snapping his head back would have left him paralyzed.

I'm sure that happens, too. It's just like seat belts - the overwhelming odds are that a seat belt will save your life. But there is the *occasional* case of a seat belt resulting in worse injuries. We just have to look at the overall odds in these cases - the safety devices almost always go in the "good" column.

We just never know, though, do we? I guess that's part of what makes life, life.

[emeleel]

I got an email last night that they will be taking my friend's nephew off life support sometime today. They had some hope over the weekend - the swelling had started subsiding, the pressure was going way down, and on Monday they were going to wean him off the coma-inducing drugs to see what was what. Apparently he's all gone, completely brain dead, so they will be taking him off today.

At least they were able to wait past Mother's Day.

[hadassahchana[$]]

I'm so sorry. He's still in my prayers, so is the family. How awful.

[lynnzop[$]]

So sorry, Melanie.

[wivabef]

I'm so sorry to hear this Melanie.

How sad.

[mtomm[$]]

I'm sorry it didn't have a better outcome. I can't imagine what her Mother's Day was like.

[pippadaisy[$]]

Oh no. That's gotta be the hardest decision any parent has to make.