A US mum has urged parents all over the world to ensure they are abiding by the correct car seat and safety belt rules, particularly regarding their children.
Shelly Martin made the appeal following a family car crash, in which her six-year-old daughter Samantha was left with horrific injuries.
Little Samantha was on her way home from a fair with her father last September, when their car struck a tree.
Under Virginian law, Samantha should have been in a booster seat, but her parents had removed it, believing that their tot had outgrown it.
As well as not sitting in a safe seat, Samantha had also arranged her seat belt to sit underneath her arm and behind her shoulder.
As a result of these mistakes, Samantha was left with serious injuries and lacerations to her head and stomach.
In an interview with local news outlet NBC12, operating surgeon Dr Charles Bagwell recalled: “The far edge of the belt had actually cut through her abdominal wall and she had protruding intestines from that. She was just about cut in two.”
After a series of operations, Samantha was finally allowed home last month, but she has to wear a binder around her middle section.
Now, Shelly wants other parents to learn from her mistakes and stick rigidly to the safety guidelines regarding car seats and seat belts.
She explained: “The lap belt was carrying twice the force and, because she’s not tall enough without a booster, the lap belt went across her stomach instead of her hips. Doctors call the injury this caused ‘the seat belt syndrome’.”
Let’s spread the word, so that no other child has to go through what Samantha has suffered.
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