Joel's Journey

Joel's story.......On August 30, 2008, Joel and his mother were involved in a front car crash. Joel, at 18 mos & 33lbs, was in his front facing car seat, in the back seat. And still.........he broke his neck ! Why?

This website discusses what happened during that accident. But more importantly, what was learned from this tragic event,and what other parents may want to know to prevent it!!

This website incorporates recent studies that show the benefits of extended rear facing a child.

A few days following the crash, "grandpa" vented his anger, and posted the story on a few car seat safety blogs, where he received hundreds of replies to his story. That response inspired this website & video to be created.

The original blogs Grandpa wrote

can be found at:

(click on either to view the story)

Car-Seat.org and Carseatdata.org

new car seat laws ** AAP News April 2009 ** new car seat laws Keep your toddler in a rear-facing car seat until age 2 (not 1)

new car seat laws March 21, 2011 New rear facing car seat guidelines new car seat laws AAP recommendationsnew car seat laws

Pediatrics AAP News

he American Academy of Pediatrics & National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

issued separate but consistent new recommendations.

new car seat laws

AAP changes guidelines NHTSA new car seat guidelines rear facing until 2 yrs old

rear facing car seats

October 13, 2009 ** Joel's surgery..

13 months after the accident, Joel had shoulder surgery today to repair damaged nerves in his right shoulder (brachial plexus injury). After a 4 hour surgery the doctors "poked" his arm, while still sedated, and it flinched........which is a great sign!! More updates will follow . Be sure to check on "Joels Progress" page.

Thanks to

everyone

for the emails

of concern .....

and the prayers!!

The "Journey" is over...March 21, 2011

The effort to change the car seat regulations has succeeded

The American Academy of Pediatrics & National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

issued separate but consistent new recommendations.

* NEW POLICY * Rear-facing car seats until age 2.....not 1 !!

In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2,

or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.

It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The previous policy, from 2002, advised that it is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing. One-year-olds are five times less likely to be injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing seat, according to a 2007 analysis of five years of U.S. crash data. Toddlers have relatively large heads and small necks. In a front-facing car seat, the force of a crash can jerk the child's head causing spinal cord injuries. Car seats have recommended weights printed on them. If a 1-year-old outweighs the recommendation of an infant seat, parents should switch to a different rear-facing car seat that accommodates the heavier weight until they turn 2, the pediatricians group says. ( See our FAQ section for questions & answers )

We did it! ... We ALL did it............

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the extended rear facing effort.

The support I received from friends, family, other ERF advocates, and hundreds of supporters from over 30 countries around the world kept me motivated to press for changes in car seat regulations.

I want to thank God for leaving Joel and his mom with us, and all the dedicated medical professionals involved in caring for both of them

A special thanks to Laura Bower from The Kyle David Miller Foundation, and

Håkan Svensson , CarSeat.se - Swedish Rear Facing Car Seats

Hopefully we won't see any more videos such as Joel's.

Off the topic, but an issue close to my heart...

Permanent Brain Damage

Are you knowledgeable about

Lead Paint Poisoning?

* Lead based paint was available until Dec 31, 1977

* Lead based paint and/or dust is a neurotoxin

and destroys brain cells......forever!

* Lead inhibits the development of a childs brain, and can cause low IQ, learning disabilities, and behaviorial problems

for life....

This is not new to "Grandpa", who has been an

EPA Certified Lead Paint Risk Assessor for many years, and continues to work in that field.

Car accidents may not be preventable.......

but childhood lead poisoning is!!

"Grandpa" supports the mission of the

Lead Safe America Foundation

The organization was founded by a family whose children were lead poisoned during a home remodeling project. I have met the founder,Tamara Rubin, and she is an amazing, passionate mom,

and she is going to make a difference!

But she needs support in her efforts.

Currently, she is producing a documentary film to expose the "invisible monster" that robs children of their future..........

Please...take a minute and watch the video,

"America's Secret Epidemic"

(click here)