During the heat, it's easy to forget about lawnmower safety

Shriners Hospitals for Children is such an upbeat place, that it seems unfortunate to address such a serious topic on my very first blog post for the Ladue- Frontenac Patch, but it's been weighing heavily on my mind lately.

This afternoon, I read Facebook posts from a number of my friends who were lamenting the need to mow their lawns in this oppressive heat. And I have to say, that I am very grateful my husband does the mowing, because I know what my instincts would be: to get it done as quickly as possibly so I could get back into the air conditioning. But, it's when we're in a hurry that we most likely forgo our usual safety precautions.

I'd encourage everyone to remember ALL their safety rules about using the lawnmower (sturdy shoes, protective gear, safe use and storage of gasoline, etc.) - but also to think about safety even when perhaps you have a lawnmowing service.

While your lawn is being mowed - no matter where (front or backyard) - it is important to teach your youngsters that they should stay inside. And never, never, ever give a child a ride on a riding lawnmower. It may seem harmless, because you can stop the blade from running while you give the child a ride, but really, what you're doing is teaching the child that lawnmowers are fun to ride on. They won't know the difference when you're out mowing the yard later. All they see is the "fun ride."

Here at Shriners Hospitals for Children, we see an unfortunate number of children each summer who are the victims of lawnmower accidents.  A child sees grandpa on the mower, and runs out to ask him for a ride; grandpa can't hear the child; child slips in the slick grass and his foot gets sucked under the mower.  Mom's mowing the backyard, the kids are playing the front; a ball gets loose, a child slips... another accident.

How many do we see each summer? It varies every year, but in our opinion , even one child is too many for something we see as entirely preventable.

This accidents are tragic - not only from a physical standpoint for the child, but also psychologically. Not to mention the emotional strain and feelings of guilt and blame for family members that inevitably surface afterward. And because the adults are experiencing such heavy emotional issues, they have difficulties providing the kind of support the child needs to recover from his or her injuries – both physically and emotionally.

But the good news is that Shriners Hospitals for Children can help those kids and those families with these issues (when the injury to the child is orthopaedic). We have a world-class, pediatric-centered prosthetics department; we have social workers and child psychologists; we can put you in touch with families who have "been there" and can provide advice and understanding; we have some of the world's best orthopeadic surgeons.

As my friend Emery in the prosthetics department always tells me, "we're not just fitting a prosthesis, we're treating a family."

We even have a staff member here who lost part of his leg to a lawnmower accident when he was a youngster. His experience at Shriners inspired him to become a prosthetist and help other children like him.

He provides a great example to our patients that we can help them have a pretty good life after a lawnmower accident – once they receive a prosthesis, he lets them know that the sky is pretty much the limit for them. But they would have a much better life if the accident had never happened in the first place. 

As Emery always says, “We can make an excellent prosthesis – but it’s not the same as having your own limb.”

Please be safe out there - and I promise to not be quite so gruesome next time!