Never leave children in a car alone- follow up to Dr Leaves 8mo old in car

[Magsulfate, BSN, RN]

i'm going to share a poem with you that i wrote a few years ago, the reason why i left the emergency room and went into icu. we had a little girl 5 years old, who came in after her parents left her and her 3 year old sister in the car for just a minute. the girls were playing with the gear shift and knocked it out of gear. well, they got scared and both jumped out. the "big sister" 5 year old died on the scene, we worked her in the hospital for over an hour. i have dug this poem out of my vaults just for an occasion like this.

the point is, it is never ever okay to leave a kid in a car, no matter what, by themselves. these parents were out of the car for maybe 3 minutes. this post was prompted by a recent thread about a doctor who left his baby in the car while he went into see a patient.

the little girl with the pink shoe laces.

i'll never forget you, how you layed there that day

looking perfect except for a scratch on your shoulder

and a little black mark on your face.

you layed there quietly while all the grown ups gathered round.

we stuck a tube in your mouth and needles in your arms.

we pounded on your little chest,

with the palm of my hand i pushed on your heart,

thinking the whole time, oh dear god, why are you

taking this beautiful angel away from the world?

tears rolled down my face as i took off your shoes,

thinking about how your mother must have tied the double knot

in your little pink shoe laces.

just hours before, i'm sure she could have never knew

what was about to happen, it couldn't be true.

how will your mother sleep tonight, and

your little sister who doesn't understand,

"will she have a phone in heaven?"

is what she asks.

as i break down and hug her

i know i will never forget how a little angel

with pink shoe laces made me feel that day.

and i will never forget each moment of your fateful last hours.

and your little pink shoe laces.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I have had a similar experience and it too ended just as sadly. I'm so sorry and this poem hopefully served as a memorial for this precious little girl.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

When I was a kid, my mother would leave me and my sisters alone in the car all the time. Then we found a book of matches. We didn't set anything on fire, but we lit them and put them back. She never left us alone in the car again after that. To this day, I dread trips to the Motor Vehicle office.