PLEASE READ!!!

Many of you may know but some may not of our sweet Chloe's story. Click here to read why these articles touch so close to home for me. I beg you to read this and seriously consider these recommendations and take action.

I write this post because I feel compelled to warn others of the danger of allowing children remotely near lawn mowers of any kind. Please, giving your child a ride on a lawn mower is NOT a "fun family thing" to do, it highly dangerous and has such a great potential to do severe damage.

For your children's sake, PLEASE teach them proper safety measures when it comes to lawn mowers. And please pass it on to your friends and family.

I wish with all my heart someone would have shared this warning with us.

This July marks the 5 year anniversary of Chloe's accident and amputation...think about it...

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"The No. 1 advice to parents is: Treat the lawn mower as hazardous equipment, not a toy. You don't let a child play with an electric saw, and that's exactly what a lawn mower is," Carol Gentry, pediatric OR nurse manager, said in a prepared statement.

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"Lawn mower-related injuries account for more than 51% of traumatic amputations among children. Major limb loss is most commonly caused by lawn mowers for children under the age of 10.

“We want to see the number of accidents greatly reduced by increasing public awareness of lawn mower safety,” Kendra Calhoun, president and chief executive officer of the Amputee Coalition, stated in a press release. “Amputations from lawn mower accidents are among the most preventable. By following common-sense safety rules, you can prevent lawn mower injuries to yourself and others.”

The Amputee Coalition offers these safety guidelines:

1. Never allow children to play on a lawn mower, even if it is turned off;
2. Never allow a child to ride on a riding lawn mower with you;
3. Keep your children indoors and do not allow other children to play nearby while you are mowing; and
4. Children should be 12 years of age or older before operating any lawn mower and at least 16 years old to operate a riding mower.

Before starting your lawn mower, use this simple Amputee Coalition checklist, which is based on information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Keep this checklist in your garage or near your mowing equipment. It only takes a minute to prevent disaster.

Before Mowing:

1. Pick up stones, toys and debris from the lawn to prevent injuries from flying objects;
2. Wear shoes, not sandals;
3. Use eye and hearing protection;
4. Start and refuel mowers outdoors, never in a garage;
5. Refuel with the motor turned off and cool; and
6. Have an adult adjust blade settings.

While Mowing:

1. Only use mowers with automatic shutdown abilities; and
2. Do not mow in reverse unless necessary.

After Mowing:

1. Wait for blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, or crossing gravel roads."

~Source~

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"More Than 600 Children Undergo Mower-Related Amputations Each Year...

More attention needs to be paid to lawn mower safety this year, according to the Amputee Coalition of America. Needless limb loss accidents can be prevented by taking simple commonsense precautions.

Depending on where you live in the U.S., you may mow your lawn 30 times or more this year. Every time you start your mower, you are dealing with a dangerous and potentially deadly piece of equipment. By following just a few safety measures before you mow, you can avoid life-altering accidents.

Lawn mower accidents cause serious injuries to legs, arms, fingers, toes or other body parts. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200,000 people – around 16,000 of them under age 19 – were treated for lawn mower-related injuries in 2007.

More than 600 children undergo amputations each year as the result of lawn mower-related injuries. For children under age 10, major limb loss is most commonly caused by lawn mowers."

~Source~

Read More ----

From Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

News Article: "A Wisconsin family will mark a life-changing anniversary today. On July 11, 2009, two-year-old Brandon Rudie was severely injured after his father accidentally backed over him with a riding lawn mower. Today, after five facial surgeries, Brandon is an energetic three-year-old, but his recovery is ongoing."

News Article: "AKRON, Ohio -- Roxy Kimberlin describes herself as an overprotective mother, the one her friends make fun of. But even her attentiveness wasn't enough to protect her son, Conner, from a lawn mower accident that nearly amputated his leg a little more than a year ago."