Two years ago, my daughter, Lily, had just awoken from her nap, her little skip lighting up the living room as she walked in front of me. I settled at our computer desk, adjacent to her brother’s room, when I heard a sudden crash. In that terrifying moment, our lives changed forever.
I rushed to the doorway, only to see the bottom of the dresser and not Lily. Panic surged through me as I realized she was trapped underneath it. My recent back surgery limited my strength, but I managed to lift the dresser slightly, freeing her head. I screamed for my husband, Jack, who sprinted into the room and hurled the dresser aside. I watched in horror as Lily’s body shuddered, and blood trickled from her left ear.
The feeling of despair was overwhelming. I relayed information to the 911 operator, my mind racing with fear and anxiety. Emergency responders arrived quickly, and we had to decide who would ride in the ambulance with Lily. Jack insisted I should go, and we sped toward the children’s hospital.
Upon arrival, I felt detached, as if I were watching someone else’s nightmare unfold. I saw myself crying uncontrollably while doctors prepared to treat my daughter. I desperately tried to communicate, to insist that I was her mom and plead for help. One doctor told me they’d speak with me later, and my legs buckled as I sank into a chair, feeling utterly helpless. My thoughts raced—where was Jack? I needed to call my parents. This was really happening.
Lily had air bubbles in her brain caused by three skull fractures. While doctors initially assessed her brain as being stable, we were given a 72-hour window of concern. They worried about fluid leakage leading to infections like meningitis. She had also shattered the bones around her eyes and fractured a bone near her auditory nerve. Despite these injuries, the doctors reported that she was stable, but surgery was required to repair the damage. They would perform a craniotomy to mend her dura (the membrane covering her brain) and reconstruct her facial bones. Without surgery, she could lose her sight or suffer severe complications. Hearing the words “brain” and “surgery” sent me into a spiral of panic.
Today, two years later, Lily has made a miraculous recovery, yet I am still grappling with the emotional fallout from that day. The accident occurred because she was reaching for a Barbie doll on a dresser that was never anchored to the wall. When we returned home from the hospital, I walked into her room to see blood stains on the floor. I approached the dresser, and it tipped with the slightest pressure. Frustrated, I pushed it with all my strength, striking it in anger as my hands turned red and shaking. I knew it wasn’t the dresser’s fault, but ours. A simple anchoring could have prevented our ordeal. Why hadn’t we done it?
As a parent, nothing is more terrifying than the thought of losing a child. You want to protect them at all costs, but accidents happen. Watching your child in a hospital bed, broken and in pain, is a feeling that cuts deep. The guilt of not securing that dresser weighed heavily on me.
Lily’s resilience post-surgery was astounding. Her swelling was minimal, and the bruising around her eyes became an accidental beauty statement. The doctors had warned us she might be unrecognizable, but she was still our beautiful Lily, just with a new hairstyle and a sparkle in her eye. I thank the universe every day for allowing her to stay in my life.
Now, I am committed to raising awareness about the dangers of unsecured furniture. We were fortunate to have a second chance, but many families are not so lucky. A staggering statistic haunts me: a child is severely injured or dies every two weeks from furniture tip-over accidents. This can happen to anyone with young children in their lives. I urge everyone to secure their furniture to the wall—it’s as vital as buckling a seatbelt.
No family should endure what we have faced. To learn more about safeguarding your home, check out this excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination, or visit our other blog post for more information.
Summary
This article recounts a harrowing incident where the author’s daughter, Lily, was injured by an unsecured dresser, highlighting the importance of securing furniture to prevent such tragedies. Despite Lily’s miraculous recovery, the emotional impact on the family remains profound. The author urges all parents to take preventative measures to protect their children from similar accidents.