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Helmet saved my son's life
A bicycle helmet saved my son’s life yesterday. I have never been moved to write a letter like this before but after my experience yesterday, I felt that I had no alternative.
I spoke with my son, Nikolas on my way home yesterday afternoon about 4:15 pm. We had a short, but sweet, chat about his day and his plans for work that evening. I stopped and did some shopping and arrived home just before 5:00 pm. At exactly 5:00 pm, Janet Chapman from the Boys and Girls Club called to tell me that my son was being put into an ambulance and would be taken to the Stollery Hospital in the city. I’m sure any parent can tell you that this is their worst nightmare. It amazes me how 45 minutes can change your life forever.
Nikolas was on his way to work and decided to stop at the skateboard park to quickly “clear the table top”. This is a manoeuvre to jump over a small base at the top of one of the ramps. His back tire caught the edge of the base, which sent the back of his bike forward. This drove Nikolas five feet, head first into the cement below. He lost consciousness and was bleeding from the nose. He suffered many cuts and scrapes to his face, but the helmet he was wearing saved his head from taking the total impact. It is important at this point to tell you that not only was he wearing his helmet, but that it was buckled up under his chin. A boy from the park ran to the swimming pool to call 911. My thanks and gratitude goes out to this young man who wasn’t afraid to get involved and had the good sense to take action immediately. I don’t know much about the boy, but I’ve been told that his name is Cody. Thank you, Cody. You are a true hero.
When I arrived at the skate park, another staff member from the Boys & Girls Club (B&G Club), Stephanie Ragan, who knows my children well was noticeably upset, but was there offering her assistance. I have since discovered that a number of other staff members were there and involved making sure that everyone was being cared for including helping my other two children back to the club to console them until they could be picked up. I always knew that the staff at the B&G Club are very caring and are personally involved with every child that comes through those doors. This just isn’t a job for them and they proved that ‘in-spades’ yesterday. They too, are heroes that need to be recognized. Because of their proximity to the skate park, they see more than their share of accidents. Seeing children without helmets or helmets left unbuckled is a common occurrence.
Before I could get to the ambulance, a paramedic stopped me to prepare me for what I was going to see. There is nothing that can prepare a parent for what I saw. My son was strapped to a board with a neck brace being held with foam blocks. There was blood coming from his nose, a cut over his eye that was bleeding down his face. When he saw me, he held out his hand for me and with tears rolling down his face asked me if he was going to die. He couldn’t remember what day it was and couldn’t remember the accident itself. He kept asking the same questions over and over again, which we found out is quite common with head injuries, but at the time was devastating for me to hear. On route to the hospital, he became sick to his stomach and had to be flipped on his side to keep from choking. Seeing my son hanging sideways on the board gasping and choking for air was almost too much for me to bear. I have never felt so helpless in my life. Seeing the fear in his eyes and not being able to do anything terrified me.
Minutes later we arrived at the hospital. The staff at the hospital were amazing. Nikolas was rushed into the trauma unit where a dozen people focused around him, asking him questions, probing and touching. X-rays were taken. A CT scan was done and then we waited - with Nikolas still strapped to the board. I couldn’t help but think of the thousands of other parents that had stood in this same spot before me and the thousands that are to follow. Minutes seemed like hours, but finally, the doctor came in and told us that everything was clear on his tests. We were lucky – no fractures, breaks or bleeding in the brain. We were so relieved. My son was battered and bruised with a moderate concussion, but he was breathing, he was alert and he was going to live to scare the death out of me again. Again, I couldn’t help thinking of the thousands of parents that didn’t get the happy news that we received. I couldn’t imagine a lifetime of helping Nikolas get out of bed and helping him to get dressed. I couldn’t imagine his loss of dignity with having his mother bathe him or help him in the bathroom. I couldn’t imagine his wit and charm robbed from him because of a brain injury. My heart goes out to those families that have to deal with these realities every day - many that could have been avoided if they were properly wearing a helmet.
The paramedics that tended to Nikolas were amazing with him and with me as well. These people are unappreciated heroes. You only need to see them in action to know their value. They have an amazing ability to assess the problem, while keeping the patient (and the parents) calm and informed, all while trying to keep Nikolas awake and alert. Not an easy task. Unfortunately, I didn’t get all of their names but Corrine kept both of us calm through the entire trip. She kept Nikolas talking with her questions. She teased Nikolas about forgetting her name. Their caring did not stop when the ambulance stopped. They stayed with us through all the examinations and it wasn’t until the x-rays and scans were complete that they made their way back to Fort Saskatchewan also left wondering if Nikolas would become like so many others.
We were lucky. Three stitches later, they let us go home. Stitches, scrapes, a chipped tooth and bruises will all heal. I felt so blessed. Someone was watching over my son. On our way home, Nikolas apologized for scaring me and said he wouldn’t go to the park anymore. I couldn’t hold back my emotion any longer. I started to cry and told him I loved how he attacked life and that I would never want him to stop, but I also told him that I didn’t want to go through this again! His two younger brothers were left behind to wait. They were devastated having to watch their big brother being taken away in an ambulance not knowing if they would see him again. This has affected all of us – our entire family suffered this trauma. Our friends suffered along with us waiting for news. We had good news to report to those who were waiting. I am so glad that I didn’t give my children a choice when it came to their helmets. No helmet – no bike. At times, I was not very popular, but my inflexibility saved my son’s life yesterday.
Today, Nikolas has needed me close by. He has hugged me more today than he has in the last week. Has this accident affected him? Absolutely! Without question. He is sore and very overwhelmed by the concern so many have shown for his well-being. Because we were one of the lucky families, we were able to visit with the paramedic, Corrine. We thanked her and her colleagues for all their help. With eyes tearing up with relief, Corrine hugged my son. She sees too many situations with the unhappy ending. It was hearing her concern for all the children without helmets at the skate park that impelled me to write this letter. If this story convinces one parent that it is OK to be inflexible or touches one child to buckle up that strap it would have been worth my time. Let’s all hope our children can attack life with joy and laughter and I pray that no one has to live the unhappy ending.
Kelly Ganter
Reprinted with permission from Provincial Injury Team, Alberta Health Services
