Month: October 2020

Safe Kids Missoula visited the Boys and Girls Club in Lolo yesterday afternoon to give a presentation about medicine safety. The goal was to spread the message of medicine safety in the home. To start off, the kids played a game where they had to guess which bags were candy and which bags were medicine. There were a few, even for the adults, that were tricky to get correct! It is hard to tell the difference sometimes and until side by side, you cannot tell how much they look alike. They learned why it is important to properly store these items, keeping medicine up and away, and considering where kids might look. We also defined what medicine is to help them understand the difference between over the counter and prescription medicine. We asked them to model good behavior and use medicine responsibly, especially around other children such as a little brother and sister. For wrap up, we played a few more games and left Lolo with the kids’ voices singing the Poison Help Number (1-800-222-1222) to a certain tune, ensured they wouldn’t forget that one.

It was Christmas day for Ali and her family and one of the gifts that she received was a dirt bike for her and her brother. This dirt bike had three wheels and was able to go really fast. Excited to try it out, they all took turns riding it around. Soon, Ali’s turn arrived, but she had never driven a bike with a hand throttle. She started to pick up speed and her family shouted, telling her to brake but she thought the throttle was the brake. Suddenly a piece of metal on the side cut her leg as she zoomed by it. She still has that scar today. Finally, she hit a wall, and fell, knocking her unconscious. The helmet she was wearing actually cracked open. They rushed her to the emergency room to see if she had a concussion. Thankfully she walked away without one. Ali and her family know that it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to be confident and in control. She knows what could of happened if she wasn’t wearing a properly fitted helmet, and that Christmas day could have looked much different. 

It was a day like any other. I was finishing up work, was 28 weeks pregnant and was looking forward to a quick jaunt home, some dinner and then to relax.  It was not to be.  My husband picked me up and we were taking the “back road” home, following our friends’ truck.  Little did we know that the newly graveled road would have so much high-flying dust and when they blew a tire and were forced to stop, it would also mask their car.  At the last minute, after cresting a hill, we saw that they had pulled over but not off the road and we could do nothing but swerve and try to miss them.  We did not.  We hit our front bumper on their back bumper and when the side panel became impacted, were flipped three times.  That is a moment I will remember forever – the feeling of flying in the air, over and over.  We came to rest upside down.  I was wearing my seatbelt so at that time, I was then suspended in the air.  I remember hitting the seatbelt button and panicking because I could not get out of the car.  I do not remember much after that until I saw my mom in the hospital, and she told me that due to the seatbelt holding me in and keeping me safe, I was now in labor.  It was a scary 24 hours, but we were safe – my baby and me.  A few months later, I would greet my baby who was safe and healthy.  I have been in 6 car accidents in my life and I have not caused even 1 of them.  My son has been in 6 and my four-year-old grandson has been in 4.  I know that that day and each day since I have been safe because I wore my seatbelt.  I know that 3 generations are alive and safe because WE wear our seatbelts. KB

To engage community members in open communication regarding prevention and safety