A mother is urging parents to make sure their kids are wearing helmets when riding on bikes after getting quite the fright.
Tiffany A Rivera from Florida took to Facebook to warn parents about being vigilant when it comes to adequate safety equipment.
Her 10-year-old son Jaden was riding his bike when he fell off, scraping his elbow and knee. He didn’t complain of any other injuries or pains.
A few days later, he was very lethargic and complained of a headache. Tiffany explains: “Jaden woke up complaining of a headache and seemed very lethargic, which was not his normal self at all. All Jaden wanted to do was lay down and didn't want to eat anything.
“After looking at Jaden you could see swelling around his right temple. The spot on his temple was not hard, more like really squishy. I decided to take him to the hospital. The moment I had Jaden in the car he started vomitting.
“Once Jaden arrived at Saint Mary's Children's hospital a CT scan was done. The diagnosis was Right temporal fracture of the skull and right temporal epidural hematoma. The Doctors explained to me that my son need emergency surgery within the hour to try and save his life. The chances of him making it were a 50/50 chance.”
The little boy went in for surgery after which his parents were told that it was a miracle that he survived. Earlier this month, he celebrated his 11th birthday and thankfully suffered no permanent damage or disability.
His mum continued: “I am telling you this in hopes to raise awareness for all children and adults why you need to wear a helmet. Help others be aware of the dangers of riding without the proper safety equipment. This can happen to anyone! The injuries my son had were equal to those in a motorcycle accident!
“The pictures start from as soon as we came to the hospital, after surgery, 32 staples in his head, and the removal of the staples on April 13 2016. Please everyone share this post and pictures! You have my permission to repost and share.”
Tiffany’s post has been shared almost 30,000 times and highlights the importance of wearing a helmet when doing activities such as cycling.
