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You are not alone - but to be honest I was not like you.
Believe me, I was that parent who thought nothing would happen to my kids - call me naive, call me irresponsible - I don't care. You get an over developed sense of being in control - you know the sort of attitude "it won't happen to me".
I used to think all that jargon about Risk Management, Safety Planning, quite frankly was a load of garbage - designed just to keep bearucrats employed - another report to write and fill in their time.
But then, BANG from out of nowhere things happened to me. Events I had not planned - nor was I prepared for!
You see, at 25 months of age, my son almost drowned in our backyard pool. The fact is if he had - I had no one to blame but myself. I am ashamed to admit I had just "popped" into the house to grab something and left him - my 10yr old daughter and 8yr old son were with him - I would only be a minute.
What happened next gives me Nightmares to this day !
His little body was floating on the water when I first heard the screams from my daughter. Horror raged through my body. "Stay calm" I told myself each metre back to the pool seemed to take an eternity.
I arrived to see a limp, rubbery body unconscious - my daughter "my hero" had taken quick action and dragged him from the water. Even, at 10yrs of age she had commenced her version of "CPR".
I was filled with numbness - don't panic - what to do? I heard myself yell to my son to run and grab Julie - our next door neighbour. In that moment he had the clear mind of a 30yr old.
Taking over from my daughter I was going through a motion - not sure if it was CPR or just an urging to my son to breath - to show some sign of life.
My mind was fighting emotion - Julie arrived - an experienced teacher and very competent in CPR (can you believe, 2 years later she even saved her own husband when he had a massive heart attack in their home).
Within a couple of moments life seemed to be coming back. There was slight movement, his eyes opened faintly, but he was still not good. Julie knew what to do and her calmness gave me hope.
While Julie stayed with him I rang the ambulance. He had gained consciousness but was very drowsy (thoughts of him having lost oxygen to his brain panicked my subconscious) but I held him, talked to him, asked him questions attempting to keep him alert.
He was a fighter !
Today, I write this story with a happy ending. Christian was hospitalised for 3 days - he had swallowed a lot of water - and "secondary drowning" in the lungs, is a further complication of near drownings that needs to be eliminated. Not to mention possible brain damage from oxygen starvation.
These anxious few days finished on a high note when we were given the all clear by the doctors. We were one of the fortunate families. Today, as an almost five year old, he swims like a fish.
That experience SHOCKED me into a new Reality!
Accidents happen every day to every day people - WHEN you least expect it!
I was lucky - my neighbour knew her CPR well - but if left just with me, to this day I am not sure I was taking the right actions.
It made me realise - while we can't always prevent accidents from happening, we never know when emergencies will suddenly and dramatically seize our lives in an instant - KNOWING how to Respond , Responding Quickly and having any Vital Information on hand to assist Emergency Personnel - Can mean the difference between life and death.
Even in situations that may not be life threatening, being able to bring speedier treatments to an injured person certainly can minimise unnecessary pain and suffering.
Something as simple as when Zac, our family's 7yr old friend came for a play.
Boys being boys, as they are "invent" games - that day it was throwing rocks at a target on a distant tree.
Another son (my 7yr old - I have 5 children) prides himself on what we call a "competitive" streak. It is backed with a ferocious appetite to put in 100% in sporting pursuits. Comes with being Child No 4.
As always his aim was hard, fast and targeted. The problem, was it pierced Zacs finger on the way through resulting in a nasty gash and suspected broken finger. All this on a Sunday!!!
Most parents will know getting medical treatment on a Sunday usually involves a trip to the Casualty Department at your local Hospital. Also, as you will know SUNDAY is not the ideal day to go.
He was in a lot of pain but I was unsure as to whether it was broken or bruised badly. I had no medical records to refer to, could not get a hold of his parents and didn't even know if I should give him Panadol.
As it was not life threatening I knew the casualty people would ask me a whole lot of questions I couldn't answer and we would have to wait until his parents could be contacted before they could give any significant treatment - his medical history, allergies, prescriptions or medical details, even who his Doctor was is vital information they need to access.
So Zac had to wait and "bear the pain" so to speak.
Interestingly, when you look at the stats - it's an all too common story - everyday injuries resulting in required medical treatment - many times when our kids are in the care of others.
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NATURE OF INJURY as Reported by ABS 2006
- The most common form of recent injury was that of an open wound (49% of all persons with recent injuries). Open wounds were a more common form of injury for males (53%) than for females (44%).
- Nearly half (47%) of the 0-14 years age group who experienced an injury had an open wound. Bruising was also a common injury in this age group (37% of persons).
- The age group most likely to suffer dislocations, sprains or torn muscles/ligaments was the 25-34 years age group, where 20% of recently injured persons received these forms of injury.
- In the 65 years and over age group, the common forms of injury were that of an open wound (53% of persons) and bruising (24%).
- Over one third (39%) of persons who were injured in the four weeks prior to interview injured their legs or feet, while one third (34%) of persons received injuries to the hands or fingers. Other common places of injury were arms and wrists (16% of persons) and the head (8%).
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Activity at the time of injury is normally not high risk, thrill seeking but everyday leisure and sporting activities - which, most parents would agree, is a necessary and healthy way for our kids to spend their time - YES! especially those energetic 7 year olds.
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ACTIVITY AT TIME OF INJURY EVENT
- Leisure activities were the most common activity being undertaken when a person was injured (27% of all persons recently injured were undertaking leisure activity at the time of injury).
- In the 0-14 years age group, 54% of injuries occurred during leisure activities. Sports activities accounted for 15% of injuries, while 12% of injuries received in this age group occurred while attending school.
- In persons aged 15 years and over, leisure activities (27%) was the most common activity being undertaken when an injury occurred in the four weeks prior to interview.
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It could have been avoided if I had known
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, after the incident with Zac - it got me thinking again - about been prepared for emergencies. Even something as simple as looking after someones else's child for an afternoon. If something should happen and the parents can't be contacted, there is some basic information required by paramedics to commence treatment, not just the medical history but even positive ID.
My Recent Experiences had started to turn the Light Bulbs on in my Head
I'll tell you the truth - I was a cocky, arrogant mother - my casual laid back attitude was really an excuse for apathy when it came to Better Preparing my family "in case of emergency".
I had that self conceited "nothing will ever happen to us" mentality and just thought all those "do gooders" who do ensure their Family Safety Management Plan is in place - were just over anxious, overbearing, worrying souls.
They are the Smart ones and I know they won't hesitate to take advantage of any resource that can assist them.
How Wrong Was I !!
You hear people talk about their "senses being awakened". My attennae was finally activated, all around me I could see "accidents waiting to happen" parents and carers unprepared for even the most basic medical or emergency response - let alone a major trauma or missing person situation.
Don't get me wrong, I havn't turned into an overnight "kill joy" who lacks any sense of adventure for her children and I still love to watch the thrills on their faces as they challenge themselves physically.
The difference is I am now better Prepared because Emergencies will and often happen when you are least expecting.
I no longer question this or even laugh at others who take this seriously. I was the fool - not them!
Take my friend Melinda - she lives everyday "on guard" with her two kids - one has asthma, the other allergies including peanuts, which can cause a life threating anaphaxlyic attack. For her and her family Being Prepared at all times is how they live their lives.
On October 9th, the Current Affair Program - Insight aired a program entitled "Allergic Reactions"
The interviews included parents, sufferers, medical experts and it is a compelling hard fact look at the plights, frustrations and challenges of living with these medical conditions.
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Allergic Reactions
Today one in 20 Australian children suffer from a potentially fatal food allergy with the main offenders being everyday foods like eggs, peanuts, milk and fish.
There has been a sharp increase in allergies over the past ten years.
Australia has the highest prevalence of peanut allergy among its young, one child in every 50 has a dairy allergy and the prevalence of diseases such as eczema and hay fever has tripled in the last 30 years.
Anaphylaxis – a severe and sudden allergic reaction – is killing up to 20 Australians every year and hospital admission rates for children under four years old suffering from food anaphylaxis are growing.
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With the generous permission of SBS Insight, we have managed to obtain a Transcript of the Program which is a MUST READ for Professional Carers, Educators, Parents & anyone involved in the care of children - even a casual sleepover.
You can obtain a copy of this SPECIAL TRANSCRIPT REPORT FREE by filling in the box below.
Once you hit the submit button you will be emailed the link and don't worry we will not pass your details onto any third parties
The Jury is Finally Out - I am not the only Parent who wants to take Emergency Care Planning up a notch!
Ok , I am the first to admit I kept my desire to improve safety in the community quiet - after all once you start putting up your hand - you have to ACT!
Action - well, I am already busy and overwhelmed as it is with running a family of 5 children and a husband who travels alot but once you become aware of Child, Family & Carer Safety Issues for the elderly, disabled and other marginalised groups - well, the Stats don't lie.
After experiencing a near drowning, a potentially fatal head injury of my child (another story), the news of a close relatives child being diagnosed with a disability, a miriad of friends in dual custody arrangements where keeping the communications on details of medical care is difficult, the daily reports in the newspapers of death or close calls from yet another peanut related event in a school or child care centre, traumatic stories of carers not been properly informed of the prescribed asthma plan for children in their care and the list goes on.
My senses had now been awakened - there was no more ignoring the facts.
Good or Bad - I am a person of action.
After extensive research, trials and tribulations Safe Family Cards was born - with it the introduction of Safe Kids Card, Safe Adults Card, Safe Students Card and our Premium Medi Safe Alert Card with accompanying medi safe alert icons. We also pioneered digital DNA fingerprinting we call myDNA.
In addition, to ensure Family Value and Affordability, as well as a place of support and encouragement our Family Life Matters Membership program partners with parents to "give back" and show appreciation for the valuable role they are playing.
My team and I are Ready for the Challenge. We have made it Easy for YOU to take ACTION!
If we can all take some small steps to improve our overall Safety Management Plan then our communities will become safer.
Of course I won't lie to you and say we have the Solution the Answer to everything.
In fact I won't even Promise that what we are offering will Prevent injuries, accidents and emergencies from happening to your loved ones.
As a pragmatic, mother of five children who has narrowly escaped tragedy
what I can tell you is this -
"the minutes following an emergency situation have the most impact on the end result. If you can act quickly by providing information to trained professionals, paramedics or the police by providng vital details, improve the response time and speed up the action then the victim will have a higher chance of survival, quicker recovery , access to relevant treatment quickly or in the case of missing persons the police can alert with accurate information other policing divisions, media and the public."
I would also say from my own personal experience - you think you know yourself well, but when it's your child or loved one, or the child that has been put in your care - do you really know how you will respond when been asked questions that can aid in the emergency actions. Will you panic ? Will you be calm? Will you recall information or will you have a mental blank?
Why risk it?
For a small and very sensible investment you can ensure you always have the Vital information on hand and can easily and even more importantly guarantee that anyone you leave your child in the care of will be able to access information in an emergency - especially when at times (as with Zac's parents ) YOU can't be contacted.
I hope my personal experiences and the products we have developed as a result will be taken advantage of? If one serious emergency is minimised or even a life saved then it will be worth it.
Please take your Family Safety Management Seriously. Take a moment now just to see how easily and affordably you can ensure your Family is Prepared for Emergencies.
Wishing you and your Family well
Helen Petaia
Founder Safe Family Cards Australia
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