A Mothers Story…
“In 1971, I was in a car accident in which my children ages 3, 5 & 8 were injured. In the ambulance, an EMT held my youngest (with possible broken leg and internal injuries), a fireman held my oldest (cut with glass shards) and my middle child (bleeding and with possible internal injuries) was placed on a stretcher with me holding on to her. None of us wore safety restraints on that high speed ride to the emergency room. 38 years later, nothing has changed.”
Even today, there are still no safe options available for transporting a young child on an ambulance …
- A parent is secured on the stretcher and holds the child
- A single strap or harness “secures” the child directly to the stretcher with no head or neck support
- If one is available and the child’s injuries can support its use, a car seat is strapped to the stretcher (even though manufacturers clearly stipulate this is not its intended use).
ANSR for Kids’ goal is to establish regulations that require each child be safely secured when transported by ambulance …because every child’s life is worth it