About Susan A. Helms

As a former nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Le Bonheur Children's, I know all too well that many children are seriously injured or killed in accidents.  In fact, nearly 10,000 children come to our medical center each year because of injury - nearly 120 children die from accidental injuries.  Many of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented.  But sadly they weren't - primarily because some simple safety habits were not in place.  Like the infant killed in a car crash - she was being held in the front seat.  Like the toddlers with severe burns - they were playing with matches.  Like the 9-year old boy with a severe head injury after a bike crash - he wasn't wearing a helmet.

I have two sons, now both adults.  It is exciting to see that making safety a habit in our home carried over to their children.  I can boast that I have the safest grandchildren in the world!  And they deserve no less.  Nor do the rest of the children in our community.  Making safety a family habit has always been a passion of mine.  My youngest son once asked me where the seat belt was - well, without giving it too much thought, he had already buckled up!  I like to give smoke alarms and fire extinguishers as wedding or house warming gifts (no pun intended!).  I like to give helmets as birthday gifts.

And I now coordinate the Safe Kids Mid-South efforts which are led by Le Bonheur Children’s and part of an international campaign to prevent childhood injury.  By teaching safety, by making homes, schools and neighborhoods safer and by improving safety laws, our work is helping to make those injury numbers smaller and smaller.  Our vision is that all children will have a safe place to grow and play, free from accidental injury.  Since our coalition began its work in 1992, we have made a difference - injury rates have been reduced.  But there is more work to do until all kids are 'Safe Kids'.  To learn more about child safety or to volunteer for Safe Kids Mid-South, you can visit www.lebonheur.org/safekids or call me at (901) 287-6730.