In my practice, I have worked with many people who have suffered brain injuries, and I have seen how it can devastate not only their lives but also the lives of their loved ones. That is why I strongly urge people to avoid activities that put them at high risk for brain trauma — such as skateboarding, tackle football, and bicycling — and why I insist that people wear a proper-fitting helmet whenever engaging in such high-risk activities.
In California, it’s a law that children must wear a helmet while skateboarding, bicycling, in-line skating, rollerskating, or riding a scooter. Parents can face criminal charges if their child is injured while not wearing a helmet.
I recently came across a hauntingly sad letter to the editor in a local newspaper that describes the heartache and pain a family can experience when a child who isn’t wearing a helmet suffers a brain injury. Here is the letter, reprinted with permission from the Palisadian-Post, a newspaper in Pacific Palisades, California.
“Our friend Sean fell off his skateboard last Thanksgiving Day, hit his head and spent the next week in a coma fighting for his life. Sean, a Loyola High School freshman at the time, survived. He experienced two brain surgeries and had to wear a helmet 24/7 for four months. The doctors removed Sean’s skull, sewed it into his abdomen to keep the tissue alive, and painstakingly waited for the swelling to go down in his brain so they could put his skull back, but he survived. He now walks, he talks, he laughs, he went back to school. He’s not the same Sean; he has a long road ahead of him and cannot yet play his beloved sports, but he is one of the lucky ones — he lived.
In 2002, California amended its helmet law to include not only bikes, but skateboards, Razor scooters and in-line skates. All children (and their passengers) under the age of 18 must wear a helmet on a bike, a skateboard, a Razor scooter, and while skating. Sean was not wearing a helmet on this fateful Thanksgiving Day. Sean, and his parents, broke the law. Family, friends, and strangers from literally around the world rallied to the aid of Sean and his parents. Who could not empathize with this story, this tragedy? Two loving, conscientious parents praying for the life of their only child, a strong, polite, intelligent, athletic Eagle Scout. What most people didn’t know, however, is that Sean’s parents were also fighting a different kind of battle: they broke the law and there would be consequences.
The emergency room workers and surgeon who gave up their Thanksgiving dinners to save Sean’s life were amazing. They were quick to react, skillful and professional. But they were not kind. Within hours of the accident, Sean’s parents found they were under investigation. The validity of their parenting skills were under attack. First by the doctors, then by the police, followed by the mandatory social service investigation. They broke the law, they were considered negligent. It was the job of the state to determine whether Sean was safe in their care.
There are many accidents and events in our children’s lives that we cannot prevent or control. This is not one f them. Helmet laws are there to keep our kids safe and prevent horrible tragedies like Sean’s. Let’s start protecting our children. It’s not that hard: No helmet, no skateboard! No helmet, no Razor! Not in the driveway, not on the sidewalk, not just on the quick ride over to a friend’s house. There’s been enough tragedy in Pacific Palisades this past year. Let’s try to prevent another one. And, by the way, the helmets need to be buckled.”
