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Keeping children safe

By Jennifer M. Dobbs, Correspondent

She was born in February, so purple is the color of the ribbons. She died in August, so that is the month when her family ties the ribbons to trees, car antennas and shirt lapels.

The ribbons are a tribute and a reminder. A tribute to Kaitlyn Russell, who lost her life at six months of age to hyperthermia when a baby sitter left her in a car on a 100-degree day.

And a reminder to everyone that children cannot be safely left unattended in an automobile not even for a second.

The month of August is now nationally recognized as Purple Ribbon Month, designed to create awareness of preventable injuries and death around automobiles.

The month was founded by the Corona-based non-profit 4 R Kids Sake started by Kaitlyn's mother Tammy Russell, and maternal grandmother Laura Petersen to create awareness and fulfill the promise Russell made to her daughter.

"They let us go into Kaitlyn one more time. Tammy promised her to do everything she could to make sure this didn't happen to another child, that her short little life would have an impact on the world," Petersen said.

Purple Ribbon Month began in 2001.

"It was the first year after Kaitlyn's death, coming up on August, and Tammy was distraught. So we just tied the ribbons up in the neighborhood for a week.

"Now it is an entire month, and it is really growing," Petersen said.

On Aug. 1, the City of San Bernardino and the City of San Bernardino Fire Department declared August as Purple Ribbon Month during a City Council meeting.

Councilwoman Esther Estrada said anything to do with children is close to her heart.

"I support anything we can do to alert and advise people on this issue," Estrada said.

The purple ribbons can be seen on fire trucks, police department vehicles and California Highway Patrol vehicles, Petersen said.

"We have sent out 25,000 tree ribbons, 20,000 antenna ribbons and 20,000 lapel ribbons, then had to make an emergency order for more. This year we sent them as far as Canada, England and the Virgin Islands," Petersen said.

"It has grown huge, and I think it is one of the best campaigns we have done for awareness," she said. "When people are tying the ribbons, others ask them what the ribbons mean.

"Every ribbon tied has the potential to save a child's life."

IN ONLY MINUTES

"Kaitlyn lost her life in about 15 minutes, according to the coroner," Petersen said.

"I don't think people realize what can happen in that short time."

Dr. Gail Stewart, an emergency medicine pediatrician at Loma Linda University Medical Center, said when the temperature outside is 95 degrees, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to between 120 and 140 degrees within 10 minutes, even with the vehicle's windows slightly open.

"There are a lot of cases reported where the child has died within one to two hours."

Stewart said a child left inside a car will begin sweating and become thirsty and fatigued, followed by nausea.

"Then they lose their ability to sweat, and as their body temperature rises, they become dehydrated," she said.

With increased body temperature, their brain, liver and kidneys become affected and they can suffer seizures or a stroke," Stewart said.

Anyone who finds a child in a car should call 911 and act quickly.

"We see a lot of kids left in cars their temperatures are 104 degrees. We use IV hydration to cool them off," she said.

"The faster, the better. Remove the clothes, mist them with water, get them in the shade. Use ice packs in the armpits and groin.

"Whatever way you can cool them down, rehydrate them."

100 PERCENT PREVENTABLE

First 5 San Bernardino, Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County, is a pick up spot for Kaitlyn's Law materials.

As part of its education program, First 5 is providing car window shades to the public bearing the printed message, "Please take me with you."

"We gave out 5,000 last year, and of the 5,000 we ordered this year, we have about 400 left," said communications specialist Jennifer Celise-Reyes.

The shade can be used as one of many reminders that a child is sitting in the back seat.

"Keep a teddy bear in the the infant car seat, then move it to the front seat when you put the baby in its seat. The teddy bear will be a reminder the baby is there," said Michelle Parker, trauma intervention specialist at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and part of the local Safe Kids Coalition.

"There are parents and caregivers who forget children who are loved and cared for. We can all make mistakes. These can be fatal ones."

Leaving children in cars poses many dangers beside hyperthermia, including kidnapping, car fires, and strangulation from power windows and seatbelts.

Allowing children to play around cars puts them at risk for accidental back-overs or entrapment.

"Don't let kids play in or around cars," Parker said. "We don't want them to think they are toys."

"If you are not in your car, keep it locked," said Petersen. "And when you get out of the car for any reason, get the child out with you.

"You cannot change what happens when your child loses their life, you can't bring them back."

IT'S THE LAW

On October 2001, then Gov. Gray Davis signed "Kaitlyn's Law" the Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle Act, California Vehicle Code Sections 15620, 15630, 15632, which went into effect January 2002.

Russell and Petersen played a major role, assisting a statewide panel of experts to get the legislation approved. The law makes it illegal for any child younger than six to be left in an automobile without the supervision of an individual 12 years of age or older. The complete law can be read at http://www.4rkidssake.org/.

Citations for the infraction come with a $100 fine.

"It is not really meant to be punitive," Petersen said. "It is meant to educate. Seventy percent of that fine goes into education."

But a law is only as good as its enforcement, Petersen said.

"Riverside County had the highest number of citations in the state. I think because they have adopted a zero tolerance policy on the issue. Los Angeles County was second and Orange County was third. Now we just have to get San Bernardino County in there."

The whole idea of the law, she said, is to make people aware.

"People are watching for this now, and they are calling 911."

KEEPING STATISTICS

4 R Kids Sake uses the Internet to track incidents involving hyperthermia, car back-overs, suffocation in trunks, strangulation in power windows and vehicles striking children.

In 2005, 149 incidents were recorded, resulting in 77 fatalities. Hyperthermia caused 21 deaths nationwide. None of those cases occurred in California.

"There are a lot more cases than we hear about. We usually find out about the fatalities, but not when a child has been transported and treated," said Peterson.

"We are doing our best to track the cases. There is no national tracking system in place for this kind of thing," she said.