Harrison was a very easy child and always had a smile on his face. He listened very well and spoke very early. He seemed so advanced for his age. He was so amazing.

He loved to be read to every night before bed. Harrison tried stalling before going to bed and say, "Just two more minutes." Harrison loved going to his cousins volleyball, basketball and football games. He would actually sit and watch the game before he was 2-years-old. Harrison loved playing make believe with his parents. One of his favorites was for his mommy or daddy to pretend to be Harrison and he was the mommy or daddy. He loved playing with Hot Wheels, Barney, Arthur, basketball and anything to do with boats or trailers.

Since Harrison loved anything involved with boats or trailers we took walks to a park that overlooked the Missouri River. He could sit for hours and watch boats pass by on the River. He would sit there so straight only to look away for a train that would pass by behind us.

That park that looks over the Missouri River would be the place where he would lose his life. I brought Harrison and our three nieces to Harrison’s favorite park to watch boats on the Missouri River. We thought this night would be no different from the hundreds of times before when we went to watch the boats. We were sitting on a park bench and heard a loud crash behind us. I turned, screamed for my nieces to run and lunged for Harrison. There wasn’t enough time. The van grazed two of my nieces but hit Harrison and myself head on. As my arms stretched out to grab Harrison, I saw only the grill of the van.

I lost consciousness as the van drug me down a rock embankment. The van stopped when it struck a volunteer fire department boat preventing the van from plunging into the swift Missouri River. Moments later, surrounded by blood, I regained consciousness and saw my leg tangled in the tire. At that moment my life changed forever. People frantically ran to help me. I prayed that somehow Harrison and my nieces escaped injury. I asked about Harrison but was only told he was being taken care of. I knew I had to remain calm. I told the firemen how to contact my husband, sister and brother-in-law. From beneath the van, I counted the number of ambulances and listened for a helicopter. When I heard the helicopter, I knew the situation was critical. I was very cold from the loss of blood and had difficulty breathing. The firemen hurriedly thought of ways to free my leg and decided to use airbags to raise the van. It was a horrifying experience but the worst pain was in not knowing the fate of my son. I repeatedly asked about Harrison but received only vague answers. After 45 minutes they freed my leg and transported me by ARCH helicopter to a hospital in St. Louis. I was told Harrison was transported to the hospital in Washington. I still had hope.

Upon arriving at the hospital I continued to ask about Harrison. A chaplain told me Harrison was flown to Cardinal Glennon and my husband was on his way to be with him. I finally let go and cried. I knew in my heart that if Harrison was flown to Cardinal Glennon his life was in danger.

I lost a lot of blood from the multiple cuts. Severe burns seared my crushed leg. My arm was broken in several places. My doctor later told me I looked like Humpty Dumpty and he didn’t know where to start to put me back together again.

After surgery I asked my husband about Harrison. He cried and couldn’t tell me what happened. He kept shaking his head no. My mother had to tell me Harrison died. No one told me earlier for fear I wouldn’t fight through surgery. I kept fading in and out, reliving the nightmarish horror.

Two days later, I begged the doctors to let me go to Harrison’s funeral but it was impossible. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how much joy he gave me and hold him one last time. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was for not protecting him from that van. As a mother I always tried to protect Harrison from dangerous situations. Being hit by a van in the middle of the park never entered my mind.

Slowly the shocking details unfolded. Two children (ages 2 and 3) were left unattended inside a van that was running while their parents stood behind the van talking to relatives. One of the children playing behind the wheel shifted the van into gear. The idle on the van, set higher than normal, caused the van to jump a curb stop and race through the park.

Weeks before Harrison’s death a local storeowner had warned that mother not to leave her toddlers unattended in a running van. She disregarded the advice and now we suffer the consequences.

Since our tragedy we have found hundreds of incidents where children shifted a vehicle into motion. Most of the time the car hits a lifeless object. Those people are lucky and sustain only monetary damages. We wish we were that fortunate. The ultimate nightmare has happened to us.

This type of irresponsible behavior is preventable. Even if the engine is off or the child is in a car seat or seat belt, it is still unsafe to leave children unattended in vehicles. Children are not only in danger of engaging the vehicle, but subject to abduction, hypothermia, choking on a toy or heat exhaustion.

People leave their children unattended for various reasons ... to save time, to run quick errands but always for their convenience. After all they will be only gone for a minute. How deadly can a minute be. Automobiles can be as lethal as a loaded weapon in the hands of a child. While most parents are cautious not to leave valuables in a vehicle, they often risk the safety of their child.

One death or injury because children are left unattended in vehicles is too many. Unfortunately, nothing can bring Harrison back, but we can make a difference for your children and your grandchildren. Harrison’s death wasn’t fate, but a preventable tragedy. How many more tragedies must occur before we protect our children?

The birth of Harrison was the most incredible miracle I have ever witnessed. I immediately fell in love and was the ultimate proud father. Even from day 1, Harrison was a great baby. We were told many times to enjoy Harrison because we will never get another like him.

Harrison brought so much joy to our lives, even at 3:00 am. Our lives changed so much, but it was all for the good. I remember telling many people, “Harrison was the meaning of life.” Anytime I would get frustrated with trivial, day-to-day problems, I would think about Harrison, and everything would be better. He could always put a smile on my face.

We went to a few high school football games and his cousin’s basketball games. I was amazed at how long he would sit and actually watch the game. He was definitely going to be a sports nut like his dad.

Harrison was intelligent and had a sense of humor. I would flip through television channels and stop at a hockey game and ask Harrison what sport it was. He would say, “hockey”. I would keep going to a basketball game and ask him what sport it was. He would say, “basketball”. Then I would stop at a baseball game and ask him what sport it was. He would say, “hockey”, then immediately look at me and laugh. I would ask him what sport it was again and then he would say, “baseball’.

Kentucky Derby Day, 1998, we went to watch the race at Fairmount Park in Illinois. We bet on the #2, Real Quiet. As the horses came down the stretch, Real Quiet had a good lead but Victory Gallop was closing furiously. I was holding Harrison as we watched the race and was yelling, “hold on baby, hold on baby!” After the race, Harrison turned to me and said, “hold on baby”.

We took quite a few trips to the zoo. Our favorite animals were the polar bears. It was fun to watch them swim in the water. He got a kick out of them splashing around. He also loved the elephants and the giraffes.

I have so many vivid memories of Harrison. He was always the center of attention and knew how to work an audience. Anytime he saw a camera he would immediately pose and smile. He brought so much joy to everyone that knew him. Harrison was the meaning of life.

On May 30, 1998, my life changed beyond comprehension. I am now a bereaved parent.

You can never imagine the horror and deep, agonizing pain when the doctor comes into the room and says, “I’m sorry but we did everything we could!” At that very moment, your life ends. The wonderful life you knew is over. No parent should ever endure the hell of holding his baby one last time. You never want to let go but you are being told you have to leave because your wife needs you.

Michele is in surgery for five hours. I keep repeating, “she doesn’t even know about Harrison.” I never allowed myself to think Michele could die, but that was reality. I guarantee without Michele I would not be here today. I feel a life without Harrison is unbearable, but a life without both would be impossible.

The only time I can truly laugh is when we tell stories about Harrison. One thing hasn’t changed, for people who knew Harrison; he can still put a smile on your face and warm your heart when we talk about him. Not a day goes by I don’t think of him a million times. Everywhere I turn, there is a reminder of the electricity he gave when we were together. I miss him so much and would give anything to hold him once more.

What I miss most is being his dad and watching him grow as a person, sharing every moment with him and being there for him.  There are so many things we didn’t get to experience.

Though his life on earth was very short and everyone was cheated, I still feel lucky we got to know him and experience all the joy he offered. I truly know in my heart we will be reunited and he is still with us as we journey through life.

Harrison’s death was so preventable. Please learn from our tragedy and do not wait until it happens to someone you know to heed our warning. One way we can prevent this from occurring again, is if children are never left unattended in vehicles. Please be responsible before it is too late.