– long tail
– car seat safety.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 2 December 2022. It has since been updated.
Rebecca Tafaro Boyer, a resident of Memphis, had a harrowing experience that highlighted the importance of car seat safety. On her first day back at work after maternity leave, Boyer entrusted her 3-month-old baby William to her husband David. She requested hourly updates on how William was adjusting to being away from her, and David dutifully sent status updates throughout the day.
One of these updates included a photo of William in his car seat during a trip to Walgreens. Boyer, being vigilant about safety, noticed that the car seat straps were too loose and the chest clip was positioned too low. She immediately texted David to correct the positioning, a seemingly innocuous act that would later prove to be life-saving.
Later that day, Boyer received a call from David informing her that they had been in a car accident. Thankfully, both David and William were okay, but their car was totaled. The proper positioning of William in his car seat, thanks to Boyer’s insistence, played a crucial role in ensuring the baby’s safety.
In a Facebook post, Boyer recounted the incident, sharing that despite the impact of the collision, William didn’t even wake up. He was so well restrained in his car seat that he continued napping and later charmed the nurses at the hospital where they were taken for evaluation. Unfortunately, David sustained injuries in the accident, including three shattered bones in his foot and three dislocated toes.
Importance of Car Seat Safety
Boyer’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of car seat safety for infants. In an interview with TODAY, she emphasized that all infants should ride in the backseat of a car and be properly secured in a car seat. She credited the correct positioning of William in his car seat for the positive outcome of the accident.
Reflecting on the incident, Boyer expressed her gratitude for the safety measures that were in place. She highlighted the fact that a small act of ensuring proper car seat usage can have life-saving consequences.
Community Response and Donation
Boyer’s Facebook post detailing the incident garnered significant attention, with over 45,000 shares. In response to requests from friends, she made the post public to raise awareness about car seat safety and the impact it can have on preventing injuries in accidents.
Following the identification of the Britax BSafe 35 car seat as the one that saved William’s life, the manufacturer offered a free replacement. However, Boyer and her husband had already replaced the damaged car seat through their insurance. Instead, Boyer requested the manufacturer to donate a car seat to the Forrest Spence Fund, a charity in Memphis that supports families of children with severe illnesses.
Additionally, the damaged car seat was donated to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital to educate new parents on the importance of correctly securing their newborns in car seats.
Despite the ordeal, Boyer found humour in her husband’s quip about never living down the incident. The experience, while frightening, served as a powerful reminder of the role car seats play in ensuring the safety of young passengers.
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1. Wife’s nagging about baby’s car seat
2. Husband’s life saved in accident.
