When you have young kids, it can feel like the potential for injury or even tragedy lurks around every corner. One blogger has written a sobering post warning of the dangers of a blind cord which nearly choked her son during a recent playdate.
The author of
The Troublesome Tokleys related her terrifying brush with disaster when, while out at a café, her 3-year-old son got caught by the rope of a blind, which wrapped around his neck.
“Today I could have lost my Zayden,” she began.
The self-dubbed 'helicopter mum' described how vigilant she is when her son who has cerebral palsy is playing.
“I hang around as they play, not just to make sure (they) are playing nicely and safely, but Zayden also gets hurt often due to his cerebral palsy, hence the chipped teeth and constant bruising.”
“We were watching them play outside, being kids, having fun, they were ‘building’, banging things against the veranda posts and vibrations must have made a hook come out.”
The cord from a blind on the veranda came loose, and Zayden stepped into it.
In his fright, he became tangled, and panicked when he felt it tighten as he tried to go to his mother.
Thankfully the mum was watching and managed to free Zayden quickly, though he did suffer bruising on his neck visible in a picture she shared on
Facebook hours after the incident.
“If I wasn’t watching, it could be too late," wrote the relieved mother.
The parents were told by doctors to watch out for delayed swelling or any bruising to the boy's windpipe, but thankfully he is recovering well:
“Doctors were happy that delayed swelling didn’t occur in his sleep. He is eating, drinking, flirting away like normal.”
The incident serves as a stark reminder that we need to be constantly vigilant.