I must admit that since reading the tragic story of Kelsey Briggs months ago, I have been strangely drawn to Oklahoma. I'm not sure if it is the incredible out pouring of love and compassion that I have witnessed while reading through hours of posts on the Kelsey Briggs forums, or exactly why I've grown so attached to some place I've never been. I can't seem to avoid the desire to read their news, to somehow envelope myself in what is going on there. Clicking onto the Oklahoma news sites has become as natural as clicking on to my local news sites.
So, there I was, reading the news from Oklahoma, when I read about Banyan Blaze Roberts, a 21 month old little boy who was left sleeping in a car by his father. Banyan had a core temperature around 108 degrees when he was found, and later died from over heating. It's something that happens every summer, a parent somewhere forgets a little one in the car, perhaps the windows are left up, with the car turned off. The summer sun heats up the inside of a vehicle, and before we know it- it's headline news. Another child dies.
I never want to wrongly fault anyone over the death of a child. And I'm sure that the father in this case is doing more than his share of grieving, the last thing I want to do it add to that in any way. But, it leaves me wondering.
How does someone forget a child in a car? I mean, I can barely remember hearing about a similar case before I had children of my own, what I do remember about it was the fact that I didn't question how you can forget a child. Back then, there were plenty of times I'd forgotten my keys, my purse, or anything else that wasn't directly attached to me. Something happened when I had that first kid. I suddenly was aware that I had that child, and I lost that ability to understand how someone could forget a kid. I don't know, maybe the endless crying at night which caused my overwhelming tiredness during the day was just to big of a reminder that I now was driving "with baby on board". It could have even been the fact that when getting out of the car, my lack of brushed hair and perfectly applied makeup sent a reminder shooting to my brain that a child was in my care now. It's not that I am any less forgetful, I still leave behind things everyday... but never a child.
I've put a few years of tugging kids around with me under my belt now, I've served my time juggling cranky infants, diaper bags, balky car seats and toddlers running around tugging at my knees. I've been that mom traveling to every store in town with a herd of kids on sugar highs, stopping at the gas station for a fill up on juices rather than gas, carrying more toys and games in the backseat of the car than most Walmarts have. And, I've spent the hours listening to the silence left by a day of rowdy little feet that have finally made their way to bed.
Nothing I do, nothing I think of can seem to answer the question as to how you forget a child in the car. I mean, I know it happens. And I know that the pre-mom me had once figured out how it'd be possible... but now I just can't image it.
The news said that Oklahoma has already lost 8 kids since 1998 due to being left in cars, and that five have already died this year throughout the US. It's sad, and it's a situation that never needs to happen, but more than likely it will happen again before the heat of summer subsides. None of us are perfect, and accidents are always going to be a threat- but we can do our part to lessen the chance of it happening again if we remember to never leave a child alone in a car, for any amount of time, for any reason, ever. Don't peek at your sleeping kid, and then run in to catch the phone as it begins to ring thinking you'll be right back out. Don't decide to unload the groceries before unload the most precious items- kids- first. Don't leave kids in the car, alone. Ever.
Categories:Misc,
So, there I was, reading the news from Oklahoma, when I read about Banyan Blaze Roberts, a 21 month old little boy who was left sleeping in a car by his father. Banyan had a core temperature around 108 degrees when he was found, and later died from over heating. It's something that happens every summer, a parent somewhere forgets a little one in the car, perhaps the windows are left up, with the car turned off. The summer sun heats up the inside of a vehicle, and before we know it- it's headline news. Another child dies.
I never want to wrongly fault anyone over the death of a child. And I'm sure that the father in this case is doing more than his share of grieving, the last thing I want to do it add to that in any way. But, it leaves me wondering.
How does someone forget a child in a car? I mean, I can barely remember hearing about a similar case before I had children of my own, what I do remember about it was the fact that I didn't question how you can forget a child. Back then, there were plenty of times I'd forgotten my keys, my purse, or anything else that wasn't directly attached to me. Something happened when I had that first kid. I suddenly was aware that I had that child, and I lost that ability to understand how someone could forget a kid. I don't know, maybe the endless crying at night which caused my overwhelming tiredness during the day was just to big of a reminder that I now was driving "with baby on board". It could have even been the fact that when getting out of the car, my lack of brushed hair and perfectly applied makeup sent a reminder shooting to my brain that a child was in my care now. It's not that I am any less forgetful, I still leave behind things everyday... but never a child.
I've put a few years of tugging kids around with me under my belt now, I've served my time juggling cranky infants, diaper bags, balky car seats and toddlers running around tugging at my knees. I've been that mom traveling to every store in town with a herd of kids on sugar highs, stopping at the gas station for a fill up on juices rather than gas, carrying more toys and games in the backseat of the car than most Walmarts have. And, I've spent the hours listening to the silence left by a day of rowdy little feet that have finally made their way to bed.
Nothing I do, nothing I think of can seem to answer the question as to how you forget a child in the car. I mean, I know it happens. And I know that the pre-mom me had once figured out how it'd be possible... but now I just can't image it.
The news said that Oklahoma has already lost 8 kids since 1998 due to being left in cars, and that five have already died this year throughout the US. It's sad, and it's a situation that never needs to happen, but more than likely it will happen again before the heat of summer subsides. None of us are perfect, and accidents are always going to be a threat- but we can do our part to lessen the chance of it happening again if we remember to never leave a child alone in a car, for any amount of time, for any reason, ever. Don't peek at your sleeping kid, and then run in to catch the phone as it begins to ring thinking you'll be right back out. Don't decide to unload the groceries before unload the most precious items- kids- first. Don't leave kids in the car, alone. Ever.
Categories:Misc,
Comments
I feel those who "forget" their own children in the car are the parents that arent really paying alot of attention to what god blessed them with in the first place.
Kids can be horrid sometimes and drive you nuts. I could never imagine them ever hurting or dying by acts that I brought upon them. Unimaginable love and awareness came upon me when I became a mother. How can one worry so much about themselves and forget the most prescious thing that is a reason for their own existance? Its neglect on the parent, its pure neglect that in turn ended in a tortured death of a child. I cannot even begin to imagine the thoughts that went through his little mind. These children do not deserve this. The Neglect and Abuse of children has got to stop. The most innocent of victims are seeming to have the most tortured, horrible deaths and is happening more frequently.
Kelsey was an amazingly beautiful child and to know that the acts of a 2 year old got to an adult enough that that person thought it was okay to beat her until her demise is insane. I am afaid to whack my 3 year old on the butt when she acts out, so I ignore it. I let her act out confined in her room and when she decides to stop then she comes out.
Obviously the government may need to start mandatory mental and stress evaluations on people before allowing them to leave the hospitals with these children. When will the insanity stop?
It broke my heart. She is a Physician with a little boy. Her husband is a pastor. She recently had double strokes effecting both sides of her brain. She had just returned to work, doing admin. duty only. She tells how she drove to work, got out of the car, and as she turned she saw her child strapped into his carseat in the back seat. She had forgotten to take him to daycare.
She was very upset and even admits that in the past she has said outloud "I could never forget a child."
We just really don't know what we might do with a certain set of circumstances.
Plus, an uncomfortable child will cry. When they start crying and squirming, they get hotter.
I am glad they have started charging these parents.
I think whoever is responsible for these wee ones left in a hot scorching car to perish need punished. Maybe losing thier little one is punishment enough for some people........but if these caregivers/parents are held responsible in the regards to the law maybe awareness will grow about this awful thing.