Belle's Gift video - 45#?

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I did some Googling to find more info on sweet little Isabelle who was killed in Australia due to being in a booster. I found this page http://isabelle-broadhead.memory-of.com/About.aspx

From there, it says she was 45# and 41.3" tall. It also says she died from her injury caused by the adult seat belt. Does anyone know the exact injury she obtained?

Now, I realize she was only 3 years, 9 months, but she was 45# and 41.3" which is theoretically an acceptable booster size if the child is at least 4. Would 3 months have magically saved Belle's life if she was the identical size? Was she injured due to her size? or was it due to her age? If it was due to size, then how is a 40# 4 year old safe in a booster? If it was due to age, well that still bothers me as she was pretty darn close to 4...

If any of this was answered in Belle's video, I apologize. I watched it several years ago and I recall it being heart wrenching and since pregnancy hormones are starting to kick in, I couldn't bring myself to watch it tonight to check if my questions were answered.
 
Last edited:
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I thought it was internal injuries, due to poor booster fit and/or submarining? But I'm not up for watching again tonight either.
 

Pixels

New member
The video isn't totally clear, but it does cite research that children under age five are up to three times more likely to be killed in a booster. I'm on my iPod so I can't link or try to look at the research myself right now.
 

andre149

New member
I was under the same understanding as KQ... poor fit more than anything. My guess is it's no different than a 45# kiddo who fits in, say a Turbo well, but not in a Monterey or something along those lines... but I'm not positive.
 

BeautifulChaos

New member
If you have the stomach to read the legacy page (I couldn't finish it) it gives details of the accident and mentions she died of internal bleeding from the adult seatbelt. Poor fit, submarining, etc are all possible, but at some point the lap belt was on her stomach
 

DahliaRW

New member
Wasn't it true (I can't watch the video either) that her sister was in the smae booster next to her (5yo sister I think)? So at some point, even with a not great booster, age played a difference.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Wasn't it true (I can't watch the video either) that her sister was in the smae booster next to her (5yo sister I think)? So at some point, even with a not great booster, age played a difference.

I just read the legacy page (wow, super heart wrenching, I honestly don't know how I made it through) and yes her older sister was in a booster. She was 8. I am not sure if it was the same booster, I believe the page just said it was their "spare booster" and she didn't normally ride in it but did since it was in the vehicle.

Does anyone know what they mean by "people mover"? Is that just another name for "vehicle"? Or is it a special sort of vehicle?
 

momtotwogirls

New member
Im pretty sure it was internal bleeding in the abdomen. I read the page her mother wrote and she said that she was ascting fine then all of a sudden wasnt ok anymore but they couldnt see any external injuries and it was in fact internal injuries.
From her legacy page
"Six months after we lost Belle we learnt Belle's only injury was an abdominal injury caused by her adult belt."
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
according to the info I'm aware of, she died of internal issues from submarining... and that's why you notice belle's gift states that a child needs to be FIVE and 40lbs to use just a seatbelt with a booster.... apparently down in OZ, they got answers from the medical professionals that age 5 and the better solidification of the hip bones is when kids are fine to be in a booster.

of course, we don't know what booster she was in and how well the belt fit her, so that could add to it.

But since that time, there has been more of a push toward using a 4 or 5 point harness with a booster until at least 5yrs old... and the Britax parkway sg there has slots for use with a harness until a certain size and weight, in addition to having the sg clip...
 

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