Wellness Wednesday is sponsored by Intermountain Health.
When I was about to become a father, I called the Salt Lake City Fire Department and asked them to help me install our car seat. I was scared of being responsible for this new life.
I’m glad I did it, and I’m also glad that I never had a crash while testing my work.
This week we spoke to Angie Skeen, who, despite her sadness, is also happy that her car seat was installed correctly.
“In 2007, I lost my nine-month-old son, Hudson, and my dear mother in a car accident on the way home from a family vacation in Island Park caused by an impaired driver,” Skeen said.
So much lost at once… Hudson and his grandmother Connie are buried together in Plain City Cemetery.
There is no easy consolation for Angie Skeen, but one fact has helped her carry on without blaming herself.
“When I had Hudson at McKay-Dee in 2006, I had my car seat checked by a car seat technician. And by the time we went on this trip, I had made sure it was properly installed. And I remember the Highway Patrol coming to the hospital after the accident and telling me that Hudson was properly secured in his car seat. He hadn’t moved at all. And when I had that information, I was so grateful as a parent that there was nothing I could do differently,” Skeen said.
Skeen currently teaches infant and child safety classes for Intermountain Health at McKay-Dee Hospital. She tells us that four out of five car seats are not installed properly, and she is determined to give Utah’s children the best chance at safety.
“Although my story is not the typical survival story we often hear, I hope my experience can give other people some perspective on how important it is in many ways to have your car seat checked,” Skeen said.
McKay-Dee and Primary Children’s Hospitals have car seat technicians on staff to help parents at no cost. Skeen’s classes are only $15 and cover car seat safety, infant CPR and choking prevention. Click here to learn more and register.
