Riding bicycles, skateboarding, swimming in the backyard pool are all fun, recreational activities. Yet, according to statistics provided by ThinkFirst: National Injury Prevention Foundation, nearly 1.7 million Americans suffer serious brain and spinal cord injuries each year while engaged in such activities. Many of these devastating injuries are preventable with proper equipment and some simple common sense, according to Elizabeth Dominick, PT, DPT, NCS, the clinical team leader of Burke’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains and the coordinator of the White Plains Chapter of the ThinkFirst Program, which she helped to establish at Burke in 2004.
Safety Starts Young
“Children are at the greatest risk for these kinds of injuries, so we are especially active in schools.” says Dominick. “Our core message is to ‘use your mind to protect your body’, which means wearing the proper safety equipment, especially a good fitting helmet and avoiding risky behaviors and situations.” The program for the younger children is age appropriate, and features “Street Smart,” a safety superhero. “Our goal is to make the program fun for the younger kids while getting the message out.” Besides putting on a helmet, children need to learn safe practices around swimming pools and in and around motor vehicles. “First and foremost, we stress making good choices, to think first!”
The First Line of Defense
Knowledge about safe choices is key, but ultimately the correct use of safety equipment is essential. Just like car seats and seat belts, correctly sized and positioned helmets are the first step in avoiding serious injuries. Burke’s ThinkFirst presenters demonstrate how to properly fit a helmet and how to properly wear one. Teens often start to slack off on helmet use because they don’t look “cool,” so it’s essential to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to helmet use for teens as well as younger kids.
Risky Business
If you’ve ever been to a mall or parking lot in Westchester County, you’ve seen them: kids on skateboards, jumping off of curbs, trying to ride down hand rails and generally trying to avoid busy parking lot traffic. This is one of the behaviors that can be especially dangerous for teens. To address this high-risk group, Burke’s ThinkFirst team also appears at middle schools and high schools in the area. As Dominick explains the program can be geared for teens. “For our high school and middle school program we often invite people who have suffered a brain or spinal cord injury. They relate their personal stories both of their injuries and their struggles through rehab. We call these speakers, VIPs – Voices for Injury Prevention, and they can be very effective in reaching teens. In addition, the fast-paced program has several award-winning videos on safety. A middle school or high school visit might also include paramedics and models of the brain and spinal cord.
Risk taking behaviors also extend to swimming pools and diving. Many spinal cord injuries are a result of diving into shallow water. ThinkFirst also addresses safety concerns around the pool.
Besides “daredevil” behaviors, Burke presenters can also hold discussions on safety issues as they relate to texting and driving, alcohol and other teen issues.
Bob Berry is a frequent contributor to Westchester Family.
