Summer is the most dangerous time of year for children, which is why it’s also known as “trauma season.” These are the top five injuries that land kids in Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Emergency Department every summer and how to avoid them. Keep your kids happy, healthy and out of the Emergency Department this summer!

1. Falls
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for children?
To prevent falls at home:

• Always strap children into high chairs, swings and strollers.
• Remember that children can fall from windows opened as little as five inches.
• Never rely on window screens to prevent falls.
• Never let children play alone on fire escapes, high porches or balconies.
• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Keep hallways and stairs well lit and clear of clutter.
• Make sure there is a safe surface under playground equipment. Safe surfaces include mulch, pea gravel and shredded rubber at least nine to 12 inches deep and extending at least six feet in all directions around equipment.

2. Poisonings/Ingestions

• Teach your child to recognize and avoid poisonous plants like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, which can cause an allergic reaction if they come in contact with the skin.
• Teach your child not to eat or touch any plants or flowers without asking you first. Many plants such as wild mushrooms and berries might look edible, yet they are poisonous. Even pretty flowers in the garden like azaleas, daffodils and rhododendron are toxic.
• In the garage, store dangerous chemicals like pesticides, gasoline, lighter fluid and  cleaners out of your child’s reach in a locked cabinet or garden shed.
• Keep chemicals in their original containers and add a Mr. Yuk™ sticker so your child knows the product is poisonous.
• If using pesticides, keep kids and pets away from the area until the pesticide has dried, or as long as recommended on the label.

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This August will mark my 16th Care-A-Van for Kids benefiting the Child Abuse Prevention Fund. If you’re not familiar with this incredible annual event, you need to give a listen.

For two days, Thursday, Aug. 27, and Friday, Aug. 28, FM106 listeners who have been touched in some way by the vicious cycle of child abuse are motivated to tell their stories. Sometimes it’s a mom who takes on the extra challenge of fostering a child affected by shaken baby syndrome. We’ve also talked with young women who were pregnant as teens and decided to keep their babies even though they knew it would be an uphill climb. Programs funded by the CAP Fund helped them with their climb. The most emotional stories often come from those who were victims of abuse themselves as children.

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The Weiss family

In 2007, our daughter Erica began feeling sick. Her condition worsened quickly from minor to severe, so we decided to have her seen in the Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Erica immediately was admitted with suspected pneumonia, but over the next 24 hours Erica’s health continued to decline.

As the mystery of Erica’s illness started to unfold, the staff transferred Erica to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. They reassured us they were going to take care of her. While the outlook for Erica was overwhelming, the doctor was very honest and realistic about both possible good and bad outcomes. We then said our goodbyes and left her in the extremely capable hands of the staff of the PICU.

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(You can read the English language translation of this blog below)

Ya se llego ese tiempo del año y para mi es uno de los mas felices porque me da la oportunidad de ayudar a alguien que realmente lo necesita, para nosotros aqui en Bustos Media es un orgullo poder contribuir con esta buena causa y espero que todos ustedes se sientan igual.Por favor acompañanos este Jueves 9, Viernes 10 y Sabado 11, agamos la diferencia por nuestros niños, ayudemos al Hospital de Niños (Children’s Hospital) porque este radioton es para ellos, para todos los chiquitines que necesitan esa ayuda especial, yo ya estoy listo para ayudar, y tu lo estas?

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Nurse Amy Schroeder, Executive Director Bill Owens and Nurse Julie Waldhart

Once a month, we hold a photo shoot at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin through the Flashes of Hope program. We turn one of the hospital classrooms into our own little studio – complete with a backdrop, special lighting and props (we have found that bubbles are a must). At each shoot there is a volunteer professional photographer, two volunteers and a make-up artist to help the girls and moms (occasionally a boy or dad) get ready for the camera. The mood is light and playful with lots of joking, smiling, laughter and perhaps a few tears here and there. We work hard to lift the patients out of their illnesses for at least a little while by giving them an opportunity to have fun in front of the camera and to just be kids. This all is free of charge for the families.

For some families, these pictures are the first opportunity for family portraits. For others, unfortunately, the photos may be their last. Flashes of Hope captures the beauty and innocence of each patient and family; creating memories they can hold onto forever. Flashes of Hope offers them a look back at the smiles and laughter their son or daughter still had while battling cancer, giving them hope for whatever tomorrow may bring.

Whether there is a teenager hugging you and thanking you for taking his picture with his sisters, or a father expressing his gratitude for the portraits that were taken of his son two weeks before he lost his courageous eight-year battle to cancer, we know that Flashes of Hope touches the hearts and lives of all who participate.

For more information on the Flashes of Hope national program please visit www.flashesofhope.org or flashesofhopemilwaukee.blogspot.com to see our beautiful Children’s Hospital patients. They inspire us each and every day.

— Julie Waldhart, RN, Hematology, Oncology and Transplant