Vicky
New member
I joined this forum a few days ago because of my (then) nearly one year old Erika. Just a few days before her 1st birthday, on April 13, 2001, the worst thing happened. We crashed. A man had rear-ended us while speeding when there was a traffic pile-up ahead. We were getting ready to buy a birthday cake.
As you all know, back then RF carseats had a limit of about 20 pounds or so. Not wanting to deal with the "hassle", I turned her FF at about 8 months and often had her seat improperly installed (i.e loose install, loose harness, tipping and so on).
She was in a shield seat, with a harness that was too loose, and the crotch part of shield couldn't hold her in snugly. So Erika hit her stomach at 35 mph, and suffered serious (but invisible) internal damage.
My question is, why do so many parents place their children in DANGER like that? No, I am not talking about when the parent just doesn't know any better, I am talking about the parents who are GIVEN the resources and info to save their child's life, but ignore it. Saying it's a "hassle", "too much money", "we need it for the new baby" or even more terrifying "they will be fine".
THAT is what killed my baby. I could've kept her safe (although by today's standards, it wasn't very safe) as much as possible. I chose to, and I paid for it with my baby. I never got to celebrating her 1st birthday. I never saw her walk. I never got to see her go to school. I spent her first birthday planning HER funeral. Why? Because I chose to place my BABY in danger.
As Erika's first words were, Thankyamuch.
As you all know, back then RF carseats had a limit of about 20 pounds or so. Not wanting to deal with the "hassle", I turned her FF at about 8 months and often had her seat improperly installed (i.e loose install, loose harness, tipping and so on).
She was in a shield seat, with a harness that was too loose, and the crotch part of shield couldn't hold her in snugly. So Erika hit her stomach at 35 mph, and suffered serious (but invisible) internal damage.
My question is, why do so many parents place their children in DANGER like that? No, I am not talking about when the parent just doesn't know any better, I am talking about the parents who are GIVEN the resources and info to save their child's life, but ignore it. Saying it's a "hassle", "too much money", "we need it for the new baby" or even more terrifying "they will be fine".
THAT is what killed my baby. I could've kept her safe (although by today's standards, it wasn't very safe) as much as possible. I chose to, and I paid for it with my baby. I never got to celebrating her 1st birthday. I never saw her walk. I never got to see her go to school. I spent her first birthday planning HER funeral. Why? Because I chose to place my BABY in danger.
As Erika's first words were, Thankyamuch.
