Pirates meet patients at Children's Hospital!

As a performer with First Stage Children’s Theater, I was fortunate to visit Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin for our annual end-of-season performance there. And what a show it was! The production is called “How I Became A Pirate.”

We left the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Center in downtown Milwaukee in our costumes and five of us “pirates” rode in my dad’s van. It was particularly amusing to pass people on the street who noticed a van full of pirates. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, the staff at Children’s Hospital couldn’t have been more gracious and friendly. They joked with us about how we probably didn’t need to wear visitor passes because we would be fairly easy to identify.

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Henry Burmester (right) is comforted by little brother Noah (left) at Children's Hospital

In May of 2003, my husband was mowing the lawn with our riding mower when he put it in reverse. He heard a scream from my 4-year-old son Henry. He was horrified to learn that he had just backed over Henry, amputating half of his foot and severely cutting his left leg and thigh.

Henry had run up behind my husband to tell him something. He wasn’t afraid of approaching a lawn mower. His dad and grandfather used to give him tractor rides around the yard for fun. Essentially, we unknowingly taught him not to be afraid of a lawnmower.

Henry spent three weeks at Children’s Hospital and went through seven surgeries over the next couple of months. We are grateful for the excellent care he received and he’s made an exceptional recovery since then.

After Henry was hurt, we were surprised to learn he was just one of 10,000 American children injured in lawn mower accidents that year. Henry’s injury was not a freak accident. These injuries happen far too often and every single year, with dire consequences for our children.

Please talk to your children about the dangers of lawnmowers.  Tell them that mowers are actually revolving knives and they should never, ever approach one when it’s running. Know where your kids are before you mow. The very best place for them to be while mowers are in operation is under supervision inside your house.

And please, never let your children ride on your lap when mowing.  The dangers are very real . . . and very devastating. Henry learned that the hard way.

If you want to learn more, go to knowbeforeyoumow.org.

Read more lawn mower safety tips from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

–Terri Burmester, Cedarburg, Wis.

We would like to thank the Miracle Marathon and Dave and Carole for the opportunity to share our daughter’s story once again. Children’s Hospital always will be very special to us. Lilie meant so much to us and her short time here touched so many lives. We don’t always get to say her name and have her as part of our daily life. We cherish her so deeply.

We also wish to thank the staff at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin for giving her the opportunity to touch our lives. Through their efforts, Lilie got a fighting chance. Lilie will never be forgotten. Her 30 days of life have changed us. We will never view life the same again. The level of care we received throughout Lilie’s life and death cannot be put into words. We witnessed so many things that confirmed what we already suspected. These doctors and nurses aren’t doing a job, they are answering a calling. They so easily crossed over from caregiver to comforter.

The impression that Children’s Hospital left with us was huge. That is why we loved being involved with the Miracle Marathon, which raised $1.3 million for all areas of the hospital. Even though the marathon is over, we still can encourage others to give to support this great hospital. It also allows us to give something back to the people who made Lilie’s time here a positive experience for all of us. We truly are blessed to have been at Children’s Hospital.  Remember Lilie and smile!

Listen to the Hartmanns’ interview on the Miracle Marathon.

Read the Hartmann family’s blog, 30 precious days, from May 19, 2009.

Two recent serious car accidents in our community in the past several weeks – one involving a train and the other related to high speed – have affirmed that car seats do indeed save lives. Most likely, the car seats that saved those two children’s lives now will need to be replaced. But what if the crash was less severe? How can you tell if the car seat still is usable or needs to be replaced?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that child safety seats should be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers. Child safety seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash. Minor crashes are those that meet all of the following criteria:

• The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site.
• The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged.
• There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants.
• The air bags (if present) did not deploy.
• There is no visible damage to the safety seat.

I recommend parents and caregivers check with their child seat manufacturer with regard to their child restraint. Many car seat manufacturers recommend child safety seats be replaced if they have been involved in a car crash. Look in the car seat owner’s manual for your manufacturer’s statement of their policy. And, it’s good to know that some insurance carriers may reimburse for the replacement of a new car seat if it was in a crash. Check with your insurance carrier handling the crash for more details.

If it turns out you need to buy a new car seat, please make sure it’s installed correctly. Go to Bluekids.org or chw.org/carseats to find the nearest car seat check event or fitting station near you.

– Jane Howard, injury prevention event coordinator, Children’s Health Education Center