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Article Mum’s Heartbreaking Warning After Toddler Dies In Freak Accident

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Mum-of-three Lindsay Dewey was in the kitchen getting dinner ready, just steps away from her 22-month-old son Reed. She had no idea the toddler had managed to stick his suction bowl onto their heavy floor mirror … until she heard it fall to the ground, with him underneath. Followed by silence.

The beautiful, blonde boy would never say another word. Never play with his siblings again. Never again hug his mum and dad. Never blow out two candles on his birthday cake. He’d suffered catastrophic brain injury, and later died in hospital.

His mum, from the US, is now sharing his story so other parents never have to go through the same pain.

“Apparently Reed had one of his suction cup bowls and stuck it on the mirror and was pulling it ‘back and forth’ to pry it off (we’re assuming) and he pulled the mirror down on himself,” she explained in an Instagram story. “I never even heard him playing by/ with the mirror. Until I heard it fall and then within 5 seconds I lifted it off of him.”

Lindsay said there had never been an urgency to anchor the 70kg mirror to the wall as there was ‘no way our kids are strong enough to move it’. However, Reed had seemingly got his suction bowl stuck on the mirror and had been trying to pull it off, when it fell on top of him.

“The second I lifted it up I looked at him to see if he was ok and he was laying there eyes open but not crying and I felt relieved thinking he must’ve been okay just in shock or something … but no … he was not the Reed I knew. Based on how he was acting, I immediately knew something was VERY wrong and that it was serious but never did we expect it to be so serious that he wouldn’t survive it. The mirror hit his head in the most precise way and fractured his skull – obviously causing a severe TBI (traumatic brain injury).

“We both are still in complete shock that this is what took our baby from us. We’re only sharing this because we don’t want this happening to anybody. A few close people we’ve told literally started naming off items in their house that weren’t anchored, and it hit home for them because they literally could’ve been in our situation.”

Lindsay pointed out that she’s a ‘psycho protective’ mum, sharing video of numerous window, door and cupboard locks in her house, along with monitors and outlet covers. She says they had other items of furniture in their home anchored, but this even was the ‘perfect storm’. The mirror usually had a chair in front of it, however it had been moved only recently.

“You have no clue how easy it would be to keep this to ourselves and protect our hearts from the potential backlash especially from stranger. But I truly couldn’t keep it from other parents anymore. But truly I shared this only for awareness purposes. If I’m being honest, after discussing it a week ago, we decided that we were not going to share it. But we had a change of heart and I’m glad. This could potentially save another child and that makes all the backlash worth it.”

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Comments

  • I’m so very sorry for this family. What a terrible tragedy. I had a wardrobe fall on me when I was about six years old. I pulled out one of the bottom drawers and stood on it causing the wardrobe to topple over with me underneath. Fortunately I was okay but it could have ended very differently.

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  • Wow this was so very sad reading this and how scary for the parents to go through. I would never have thought this could happen. A very terrifying accident and one that they will never forget. I feel for them but appreciate that they are telling their story so that it helps other parents be vigilant

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  • Definitely a freak accident in how it happened, and couldn’t have been easily foreseen. My condolences to the family. However, there have been plenty of accidents with heavy furniture etc falling on kids – it really is something people need to pay more attention to when kidproofing a house. Still very sad.

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  • Oh this is absolutely heart breaking. That poor family What a terrible accident. I cant even imagine how they must be feeling. There really are no words in a situation like this. Thank you for sharing your story and potentially saving another family from this heartbreak. Rest in peace little angel.

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  • I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Yes, people will say why didn’t you do this or that, but it’s only by sheer luck it never happened to their child. I wouldn’t have thought a young boy could pull it over either. My heart goes out to you both on your tragic loss. You are both so brave to be willing to share this with us. RIP Reed.

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  • Oh little angel, rest in peace Reed…
    Such a terrible accident…

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  • Such a horrible accident. My heart breaks for this mother and the family. Very hard reading this as it hurts my heart knowing they would be in such pain for this loss 😭 I pray they find peace and strength to continue during this hard time and I hope strangers show love towards this family more than anything. RIP beautiful boy, heaven needed you ❤️

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  • That’s such a horrible accident and like with many other things, it could happen to anyone. That’s what an accident is. I think trolls forget this. It’s all well and good to say that things could have been done differently in hindsight, but no matter how much you prepare, accidents can still happen. People need to remember that the parents are going through enough as it is.

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  • Oh this is so sad! Who would’ve thought that would happen. My heart breaks for that family.

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  • Oh goodness. This was such a hard read. I can’t even begin to imagine living this situation. Hearing such a large object fall onto your little toddler, then not seeing their face full of the life and sparkle you would expect to see. I hate how we have to learn lessons from other families in the most heart wrenching ways. I hope this family finds peace and is surrounded by love and support

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  • Oh my heart breaks for their family. How devastating and such a tragic accident. The poor baby must’ve been in such shock and who knows what sorts of pain happening once he fell. Its such a great reminder to always secure anything and everything for the safety of our children at home

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  • Oh no, this is one of my worst nightmares. It breaks my heart to read this sad story. Poor baby Reed and his family

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  • Oh gosh, that poor family! I hope the little boy went quickly and didn’t suffer too much.
    My sincere condolences to the family of little Reed xx

    Never assume people, if someone says you need to anchor someonething into the wall, do it. Your kids may not be strong enough to dislodge the item but there could be an earthquake at any moment, a car could hit your home, a plane could drop out of the sky…

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  • That is just so heartbreaking. Poor Bubba

    Reply
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