Saturday, January 5, 2013

Help! And some answers to the questions people have asked

Thank you, again, to everyone who has left me messages from my previous blog posts, especially the one on Meggie's angel day.  I have read them all and since I just can't respond to them all individually, I wanted to address a few more questions that I've been getting here since so many of you have asked the same things.

First off.  I need some help.  With nearly 830,000 people having read that blog post in the past 2 weeks, I know with your help I can do this.  Tonight, I created a petition at We the People.  In order to get it to be considered by the Obama administration, I need 25,000 signatures before February 3rd.  You can find and sign the petition here Petition to mandate warning labels and anchors for furniture, TV's and Appliances

I'm asking for a law to require warning labels and appropriate anchors (to hold the weight of the piece fully loaded) be sold with all furniture, TV's and appliances.  Right now, that is only voluntary and the Katie Elise and Meghan Agnes act from 2005 and 2009 helped to get the standard a voluntary one.  While I am happy there is a voluntary standard it's not enough.  There is little interest in taking it further by our government from a law standpoint, so let's use the voice of the people to make kids safer!  It's worked for plastic bags, seat belts and car seats, why not furniture safety? I was limited in word count so I had to be more concise than I would have liked, but it gets the point across.  Please sign and share the link.  Thank you!

Second, many have asked how to find the Meghan's Hope Facebook page.  It can be found by simply searching for Meghan's Hope on Facebook or here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meghans-Hope/334925874514  It's not just about furniture safety.  I post all manner of child and family safety information.

I am also on Twitter, look for chakragoddess.  I'm not very good at tweeting yet.  I'll work on it!  ;-)

Third, many have asked how to secure their furniture, TV's, appliances and other items in and around your home.  Meghan's Hope Facebook page has many of these resources and more in recent posts.  I encourage you to 'like' her page if you are on Facebook.

You can find appropriate anchors at Amazon.com here TV safety straps and here Furniture Safety Straps, your local hardware or department store or at other on line stores.  My personal favorites for TV's are KidKo and Quakehold products and for Furniture, Safety 1st furniture wall straps and KidKo and Quakehold straps.  Quakehold also makes straps for large tube TV's, appliances and very large bookcases as well as for other smaller objects that could fall and still seriously injure or kill a child.  "L" brackets also work quite well and are inexpensive and sold at hardware stores and The Home Depot and Lowe's.  *note*  You need to be sure to use enough anchors to support the weight of the piece fully loaded PLUS an extra 50 pounds (to simulate a child climbing or pulling on it).  This means you may need more than 2 straps!  Also, you need to be sure to secure the screws into a stud and periodically check the straps to be sure they are still secure.  I advise against using 'Mommy's Helper' brand straps or cable/zip ties because they become brittle and break easily and really are not suited to hold heavy pieces of furniture.

A word of caution -  many people have mentioned their children had a dresser or TV fall on/near them and mistakenly believe their child was saved by luck, the fact it was daytime and they heard the crash or because they were in the room.  Or they have not personally experienced it but believe since they are always with their kids, they are safe.  Please don't be lulled by a false sense of security.

While I am thrilled those children were not injured seriously, it was physics that saved them, not luck, proximity or the time of day.  Parents have been in the room and been powerless to prevent their child from dying before their eyes from a falling piece of furniture or TV.  Check out the video by the CPSC Furniture/TV tip over PSA from the CPSC, it's a must see.

Also, it's not just toddlers and babies that are at risk.  Children as old as 10 have been killed by falling furniture and TV's, in fact adults have too, just not as commonly as children.  The ONLY way to keep your children safe is to secure ALL furniture and TV's to the wall.  Not just in their room, not just dressers and bookcases.  Everything!

I'd also like to thank those of you who have complimented me on my writing and encouraged me to pursue my dream of writing a book someday.  I really appreciate your support and hope to make that a reality sooner rather than later.  If anyone has any contacts who can help me in that endeavor, let me know!  Also, if anyone knows how I can clone myself, that'd be most helpful as well!  ;-)

I've said it before, but I will say it again, I cannot adequately express the depth of my gratitude for the way Meghan's story has been shared and taken to heart.  To know that literally hundreds of thousands of children will sleep safer tonight because of her story brings tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you still have a question that I missed, please message me again here or through the Facebook page.  It's not intentional!  Thanks!


18 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting. I saw on facebook through my cousin who is a pre-school teacher. I now know what I will get all friends as a baby shower gift. I signed the petition and I will order supports for our furniture. We have an 18 month old son. Sadly we have been intimately involved in the tragedy at Sandy Hook and I am not quite sure what to do with myself these days. This gave me something to do to feel productive and that I am protecting my family. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Much peace to you and your friends and family affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy. (hugs)

      Peace,
      Kim

      Delete
  2. Thank you for posting. I am from the UK and had never given securing furniture a second thought. Now we are going to be making sure all is secured. I shared that post with many other UK bloggers and I know they are all doing the same. I gave my daughter an extra long hug, thank you xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hiya. Another UK mummy here. Will share on twitter. Good luck with the petition. If I was in USA not UK I'd sign. X
    Julie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for this and I am so sorry for your loss. Can we start a UK version of the petition?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hiya, I've been onto Number10 gov website and have done this. Waiting for it to be approved (up to 7 days)
      I will share link here if that is ok with Kimberly? X

      Delete
    2. Wow, thanks! I'd love that!

      Peace,
      Kim

      Delete
    3. Brilliant. May I please have your permission to use a photo of your Angel Meghan on a post on my blog to highlight the dangers to people in my area? I totally am behind you wanting this as USA law, but I would hope it goes global.

      Honestly so sorry for your loss, and blown away by your love and your ability to write your feelings so well. You are pretty amazing!

      Julie. X
      (mum of two. Small book shelves fell on both my boys. I only thought big furniture was dangerous, so you've really got my attention)

      Delete
    4. Yes, you may. thank you! Let me know how it goes!

      Delete
  5. I wanted to let you know I listened to Meggie and we have secured our furniture. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Kimberly,

    Your writing on your daughter really struck a chord with me. I had a close friend pass away tragically about 6 years ago, and a lot of things you said described how I was feeling in the months after her death.
    Writing really helped me through the grieving process, and I really want to share what I wrote with you.
    Is there an email I can send the writing to?
    Thanks for being so brave and sharing your story with us :)
    Cayla S.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Cayla,

    Thank you.

    Sure info@meghanshope.org

    Peace,
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  8. A friend shared your post via FB - I have also shared on my FB & my FB Page, and included links for my friends & fans to order straps to secure their own furniture. I think that your petition is a great idea, I have signed it and passed it along as well - but I think there also needs to be more AWARENESS of the danger.

    As a society, we are overwhelmed by ridiculous warning labels - "Don't use this hair dryer in the bathtub", "Caution - this coffee is HOT!", etc. I saw a car commercial the other day where the car flies off the cliff with the small print at the bottom of the screen making sure I knew to not try this because "cars can't fly". Thanks. Unfortunately, the litigious society that we are, we require a warning label for everything ... and then when something needs a true warning, like this, we're left not paying attention.

    Example: I purchased safety straps to secure my double oven. It broke, I wrote the company, and the company politely informed me that had I READ the warning label, I would have known it wasn't for use on my oven. The fact is, they're RIGHT! The problem is, when I read that warning label, I didn't read "This plastic isn't made to withstand the heat of your oven", I read "Never leave your child unattended, we can't be held liable for anything that happens to your child if you use this strap on *this* or *that* or ... pretty much ... anything."

    Your horrific account of Meghan's accident made it *REAL*. I sobbed uncontrollably. I imagined myself in your shoes. I felt only a touch of your pain, guilt & grief and it HURT. I mourned your loss, I mourned Meghan’s loss. I wanted to hug Meghan myself and tell her it would all be ok. I wanted to go wake my babies if only to nuzzle my nose in their necks and tell them how much I loved them. When my husband walked in and wanted to know how to make me feel better, I told him to secure the furniture. It was midnight, but had he had the tools to do it, he would have, in that instant.

    I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your Meggie. My heart breaks for you. It's been 3 days since I first read your post and it still brings tears to my eyes. The petition is a start, but I think the true key is somehow to spread AWARENESS. As painful as it was for me to read, EVERY parent needs to read it, everyone needs to hear Meghan's story, your story. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just me, but a warning label wouldn't have saved my babies' lives. Your story may already have.

    I hope you can find some solace knowing that Meghan's short life is saving countless others. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for recounting this painful story publicly. The next time you speak to your sweet Meggie, can you please thank her for me as well. I have 15 month old twin girls full of vim & vigor and you may have saved one or both of their lives.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Here is a UK petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44041
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You rock, Julie! Thanks! Let me know how it goes!
      Kim

      Delete
    2. Already has signatures, and here's the blog post you've inspired. X

      http://mummysrandomblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/did-you-know-furniture-should-be.html

      Delete
  10. We installed the straps I ordered after reading your post about Meggie this weekend, and I just signed the petition and shared the link on my FB page. Thank you for sharing your story about beautiful Meggie...it touched our family in a very real way and my daughter is safer for it.
    All our best to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete