Child with missing limbs

I have a son who was born missing three limbs completely. Both legs and one arm. He uses a wheelchair most of the time. He is about to turn 13. He is in a frontier 85 still. He weighs about 40lbs, he is small for his age, plus with the missing limbs. He hates being in a carseat. He will soon be too tall for the carseat we have and I am looking for alternatives. I don't feel he is safe in a regular seatbelt. The lap belt tends to slide under him because he has no lap, and even if I put the shoulder belt over his right shoulder (by putting him on that side of the car) I still fear he would be ejected in an accident. He rides in his carseat on the school bus, and has a chest harness he wears while on the bus. I am looking for alternatives for the car, and it would be good if I got something for my husbands car as well. Right now we trade cars if he needs to take our son. He also can't ride with friends because of the carseat issue, though I think transporting the wheelchair would be an issue for many parents anyways. I have looked at some travel vests, but the look hot (we live in Texas) and I looked at the EZ harness, but you can't order from the site and I only found one place to order on line so far it and it was way too expensive. Any ideas for saving his dignity and my peace of mind at the same time would be welcome.
Lorraine

Hi, Lorraine! Welcome to car-seat.org!

Does he use the blue EZ-on Harness on the bus?

Would one of these harnesses work in your car? (I am NOT well-versed in special needs, so please forgive me if these are not viable options. I am hoping one of our special needs techs will come along. )

http://www.especialneeds.com/ez-on-86y-universal-harness-family-vehicles-car-seats.html


http://www.especialneeds.com/ez-on-adjustable-vest-family-vehicles-car-seats.html

Another thought might be a Britax Parkway booster with the SecureGuard clip. It's an anti-submarine clip and would help keep him from rotating out that way. Belts DO lock at 40 lbs. in crash speed tests done by researchers, so if you can position the belt over the shoulder with the present arm, and use an anti-submarine device, I feel that would be likely to restrain him in most crashes.

As far as EZ-on harnesses/vests, if you feel he'd be amenable to that, they can usually be ordered through a bus distributor- I'd google for a bus distributor near you and see if they can help you!

He rides in his wheelchair on the bus. I have looked at the parkway, but don't think the secure guard would work with it, since it attaches to the crotch buckle and there isn't one on the parkway. With his small size and no lap, I still fear he would be ejected in an accident. Even when he is wearing his seatbelt in his wheelchair his brothers can easily lift him out without unbuckling it. (they are 18 and 19, and boys so they play strange games, LOL) I think he would slide out and up and the shoulder belt would not stop him. He has sat in the car with just the regular shoulder and lap belt and he can easily get out of it without unbuckling it. I think this would be the case even locked. He doesn't even have partial legs, just nothing, same with the left arm. So far I am thinking that the EZ harness will be the best bet.

The Parkway SG/SGL does have a "crotch buckle" (it isn't a buckle, exactly). I'll go find you a picture. http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/parkway-sgl

You could add an SG clip to your Frontier, as well.

But it sounds as if this wouldn't be enough, anyway?

No, the SecureGuard clip comes with the Parkway SG. It just goes over the seatbelt and adds a "crotch strap" as it were, to a seatbelt.

But, if a harness would be better, a harness would be better. EZ-On makes harnesses that work with either their "floor mount" or with a seatbelt. The ones that work with the seatbelt, you need to use a locking clip and in at least the case of the 86-Y harness, a booster if under 60 lbs. I believe. (That might be a good place to look at the Parkway SG for- since it adds that extra strap.)

Also, locking the belt on a booster rider or adult is not typically recommended as it can increase the chances of submarining- sliding under the belt so the abdomen takes impact from the belt. Now, with the different weight distribution that might not be as much of an issue... but it's something to keep in mind when thinking about this.

Ok I see on the Parkway, but yeah, I think he needs more on the shoulders to keep him from popping out. He is also getting close to the top of the frontier so I think that would become a problem with the parkway as well, plus the dignity issue with him being a teen in a carseat. He is cognitively completely normal and is in regular classes, so he is very aware of anything that makes him different from the other kids and of course middle school kids are mean to each other.

The Parkway can be used backless, which is why I recommended it over the Frontier in booster mode, since both can use the SecureGuard.

If he uses a vest (harness) that installs with seatbelt, if his lap belt positioning is not optimal or he doesn't meet the minimums to use without a booster, he'll need a booster still- but I'd absolutely use it backless. No hesitations.

Honestly, I think that the only truly effective restraint means for him would be an EZ-on vest with floor mounts or a 5 pt harness. Possibly, a modified vest may also work since the seatbelt is intended to restrain the webbing of the vest directly rather than just help route the seatbelt onto the child, but these are designed with prone transport in mind, not upright.

All vests and boosters are designed with keeping the lapbelt low and resting against the thighs in mind, and that is the opposite of what you need to happen. I don't know that his pelvic bones alone would enough to keep the lap portion of the belt from sliding under him and having him rotate out over the top of the shoulder belt. In fact, I would think the safegfuard clip would make this worse. Even wheelchair transport relies on the seat belt being able to be used more or less as intended. Should you succeed in finding a way to keep the lapbelt high enough that it compensates for not having legs, I'm pretty sure it will have to be up over his organs. The Ride Safe Travel Vest uses a special deforming material to distribute forces away from soft tissue so that lap belt placement doesn't matter, but I don't think the guide clips will prevent him from rotating out.

My suggestion would be to contact EZ-on directly and explain your situation to them. They can and do make custom designed systems for people with highly individual needs. Another option I can see being viable (especially in the future if he should drive on his own,) would be to have a racing seat with a built in harness installed in the car.

You definitely have a tough dilemma on your hands there mama. It must scare you half to death thinking about what could happen. (((HUGS)))

Having thought about this some more, I keep thinking of David Michael Connolly. The man is an expert at strapping himself onto things that a guy without legs shouldn't be able to stick to. Possibly he has found a solution to your problem already and would be willing to give you some advice.

Going to try and contact a friend who's daughter is now an older teen and has one arm only. They travel everywhere as she is a swimmer at the top of her class. Perhaps her mom will have some insight or something that works for them.