Cross Blog

Why Child Proof Your Home?

Thursday, August 06, 2009

For articles like this and other parenting advice, visit Child Proof Advice.

Why Child Proof Your Home?

Preventable injuries are the number one cause of death of children. The majority of preventable injuries do occur in the home.  2,700 children die annually from preventable injury in the home.  The next number really alarms us; 120,000 children are permanently disabled with 70 percent of those children being under the age of 4.

Happily, a lot of the children are not fatalities, but you must ask yourself, just what kind of condition are they in if they are permanently disabled.  Did they fall and break their back and become paralyzed?  Do they have behavioral problems from a poison?  Did they lose a finger?

If a disease were killing our children at the rate reflected in these statistics, parents would be outraged and would demand a cure.  Yet, injuries are occurring like a major health epidemic. 

When children first begin to crawl, their curiosity about the world around them triples as they explore any and everything.  Pre-schoolers develop motor skills but they have poor impulse control and judgment. Children don’t have the strength, coordination nor maturity to avoid injury and their curiosity is a powerful force.  As a result, they enter one of the most dangerous times of their lives when they are at the highest risk for injury.

Many parents will think considering child safety is not necessary.  Afterall, their parents didn’t seem to do any thing special and they were raised successfully.  But stop and think ....., how would you feel if you were one of those parents whose child died in the emergency room?

There is absolutely no greater devastation than loosing a child and certainly that devastation is compounded when the loss is due to a preventable accident.  Your question is not will your child find hazards in the home, but when. So, do we do as our parents did or do we learn from our mistakes and take preventative measures to stop accidents from happening?

When should you evaluate the safety of your home? 

It is recommended that you make your home safe before your child is born or at least by the time they are six months old.  This will give you time to personally adjust to the changes and to develop new habits of closing gates and latching cabinets.  Also, a new “evaluation” should be done every six months.  As your child grows and develops….changes will still need to be made.  See additional safety recommendations at childproofadvice.com.

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Copyright©2009 by Child Proof Advice.  All rights reserved.

US Airways Flight 1549 passengers return to thank responders

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

This article originally appeard on NorthJersey.com
Photo by Carmine Galasso/Photo caption: Dave Sanderson, left, and Barry Leonard returned to Palisades Medical Center, where they were treated after their flight crashed into the Hudson River. Watch the video

By KAREN SUDOL
NORTH BERGEN — When passenger Barry Leonard jumped off a US Airways plane that had plunged into the frigid Hudson River in January, his first thought was, “swim to shore.”

But Leonard, one of the first passengers to exit, realized he couldn’t make it and swam back toward a life raft. He and others from Flight 1549 were then rescued by a ferry boat and taken ashore for medical assistance.

Wanting to praise the efforts of the emergency responders and medical personnel who rescued and treated passengers and crew, Leonard and passenger Dave Sanderson hosted a “thank you” luncheon Thursday at Palisades Medical Center.

“I was just really lucky,” said Leonard, 56, of Charlotte, N.C., who suffered a fractured sternum and hypothermia. “We all were.”

“I’m really bonded to Palisades [Medical Center] and the first responders … because I didn’t know how bad I was until I got here,” Sanderson said. “You don’t realize how lucky you are to have people take care of you like this.”

Just minutes after taking off from La Guardia Airport on Jan. 15, the airliner bound for Charlotte lost power in both engines when it struck geese.

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger gained national acclaim for his skillful landing after gently gliding the plane into the river. All 155 aboard survived.

But it was the 75 to 100 responders from agencies such as the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, NY Waterway and the American Red Cross who the two men wanted to honor on Tuesday.

Sanderson, of Charlotte, suffered severe hypothermia when he stood in the frigid water helping passengers transfer from the plane to a raft.

He recalled being in the river, then swimming to and getting on a ferry. When he reached land, he had to be carried to the triage area because he said he was having trouble walking because he was freezing.

“They saved my life,” said 48-year-old Sanderson, who met Leonard when both were patients in the hospital.

Before the luncheon, a heartfelt reunion occurred between Sanderson, Leonard and the hospital nurses and doctors as many exchanged hugs at the hospital’s outdoor patio on the waterfront, which was less than one mile from where the water landing was made.

“It’s great to see him and good to see he’s recovered well,” said Pat Crinion, a registered nurse who treated Leonard.

Heather Bailey, of the North Bergen EMS, said Sanderson recognized her as one the responders who helped wrap him in blankets when he was brought to the triage area.

“They’re lucky,” she said. “All of them are really really lucky. It really is a miracle.”

Jeff Welz, Weehawken’s public safety director and director of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, said he was thankful for the honor the two passengers bestowed on the responders Tuesday.

Said Welz: “Although it’s something we do every day, everyone likes a pat on the back, and this is our day to get a pat on the back.”

Need a car?

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

The Greater Carolinas Chapter has four vehicles for sale. The prices have been adjusted for known needed repairs and all vehicles will be offered as is.

1991 GMC Truck Sonoma SLE
Red, 146,000 Miles
Asking Price: $900

1994 Jeep Grande Cherokee Laredo
Blue, 100,000 Miles
Asking Price: $1,500

2002 Chrysler Concord Limited
Black, 99,000 Miles
Asking Price: $3,900

1995 Dodge Mini-Van-Handicap Equipped
White, 36,000 miles
Asking Price: $1,500

The sale program is as follows:

All inquires and sales will be first come, first served based on inquiry e-mail date and time of inquiry e-mails sent to Gene Judd at . Please note “Vehicle Sale” in the Subject line. Please indicate which vehicle is of interest, a contact name and a contact phone number in the e-mail. Gene will contact the potential buyers to set up a time to inspect the vehicle.

Purchase of the vehicle can be made at the asking price and the vehicle will not be offered to other potential buyers, or submit a sealed bid for the vehicle. The bids will be considered if the vehicle does not sell for the full asking price. A minimum has been set for each vehicle.