Susan Helms has dedicated the last fourteen years to educating parents that most childhood injuries are preventable. This September, Helms and Safe Kids Mid-South will celebrate the organization's 15th birthday. Helms is the coordinator of Safe Kids Mid-South and director of injury prevention at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

Safe Kids Mid-South, headquartered at Le Bonheur, is part of an international campaign whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury - a leading killer of children age 14 and younger.
Each year, more than 10,000 children come to Le Bonheur as a result of an injury. Unfortunately, nearly 120 children die because of an injury that could have been prevented.
 
"By teaching safety, improving laws and making homes, schools and streets safer, Safe Kids works to decrease the number of children who visit Le Bonheur's Emergency Department," Helms said. "Our vision is that children will have a safe place to live and grow, free from accidental injury."

The hospital will host a party for Safe Kids Friday, September 21. The afternoon event will include a safety parade and contest through the hospital and a fun educational program in the auditorium. Children will begin lining up for the parade at 12:30.

The event will celebrate Safe Kids Mid-South's successes in improving safety for children. Some of these include:

• Safe Kids Mid-South has garnered support from more than 150 businesses, government agencies, health and safety organizations, community and civic groups, policy makers, volunteers, parents and children. These groups are united to make "Safe Kids" a priority throughout the Mid-South.
• Keeping children safe at play is a key part of Safe Kids. The organization has conducted 75 Bicycle Safety Rodeos and has provided more than 5,500 helmets to children in need.
• Leading an effort to ban rubber balloons in the hospital due to their choking hazard in 1993. Helms worked with local florists to help spread the word about the safety risk rubber balloons represent and promoted the use of Mylar (shiny) balloons for children under age 4 at the hospital and throughout the community.
• Safe Kids Mid-South has actively lobbied for legislation that supports safe children. In 1994, the organization successfully worked to promote and pass bicycle helmet legislation in Tennessee.
• To date, Safe Kids has trained dozens of child passenger safety technicians and helped families properly install more than 10,000 child safety seats. The organization has provided more than 1,500 child safety seats to families in need.
• In 1994, the Safe Kids Buckle Up Hotline was created. The state-wide, toll-free public service allows concerned citizens to call in the license number of a vehicle spotted with children in obvious violation of Tennessee's Child Restraint Law. The vehicle's owner is sent a letter promoting this life-saving law and child passenger safety information. This public service has helped to increase child restraint use from approximately 48 percent to 82 percent.
• Risk Watch safety curriculum was introduced into the Memphis City Schools in 2000 to promote consistent safety messaging and activity throughout the school year. Currently, Risk Watch remains the safety curriculum of choice.