This video is a lesson no parent wants to learn first-hand - the potentially life changing mistake of not bolting furniture or televisions to the wall.
"The video was very difficult for me to watch having lost a child in the same manner," said Brett Horn. "I applaud the parents for releasing that video. It's a very difficult thing to do to put yourself out there where the public can scrutinize decisions, but only through accidents like this will awareness be brought to others to secure your furniture to the wall."
Horn knows this all too well. He and his wife created Charlie's House after a dresser killed their 2-year-old son Charlie. The organization provides safety information, materials and how to videos for people looking to child-proof their homes to prevent accidents like this one.
"Approximately 30,000 kids are sent to the emergency room each year because of a furniture or TV tipping over on them," he explained. "Furthermore, that kind of accident kills 25 to 35 kids each year."
Through Horn's efforts, more families are aware of these kinds of mishaps and how to prevent them, but the demand is so high that Charlie's House has had to limit the number of free furniture safety brackets it provides.
The website states it is "seeking a corporate partner to assist Charlie’s House to continue to offer complimentary information and child safety products."
"We are currently on hold because of the high demand. Hopefully that link will be active real soon when we find the sponsors to help us pay for those giveaways," he said.
To keep children and their families safe.
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.
