Once again we are faced with the terrible tragedy of young lives snuffed out as the result of sheer stupidity. In an autopsy released yesterday in Charelston, SC, Coroner Glenn Rhoad confirmed that two toddlers found dead, wrapped in garbage bags, under the kitchen sink in their home in Hanahan were victims hyperthermia. Trinity,1, and Shawn Cambell Jr, 4, were left in their mothers car on Tuesday, July 31. According to an AP report, the babysitter canceled and the single mother, Sametta Heyward, had to bring them to work with her. Heyward allegedly set up 2 portable fans in the vehicle and left the children with food and beverages, then off to work she went. The autopsy would show that they had died by the time she finished her shift. As a mother of three , I cannot begin to fathom the nauseating sorrow, the horrific guilt, the unrelenting grief that Sametta Heyward must wake with every morning and fall asleep to every night. I know that this could not have been intentional, but by the same token I know that these types of deaths are among the most preventable. Hopefully the following information will make someone reconsider leaving their child in a car for whatever reason. If you live paycheck to paycheck, as I know this young single mom must have, well..the phone will have to get shut off, the kids will have to eat tomato soup and crackers fopr a few days. Whatever it takes. Work will have to wait.Jan Null, CCM, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology at San Fransisco State University , compiled a study entitled Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles , viewable at http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ZURL=%2FSound%2BOff%2Farticles%2F15%2FBREAKING%2BNEWS%2Bgets%2Bhot%2Binside%2Bcar&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fggweather.com%2Fheat%2F. The results are unbelievable. Acccording to the research, at least 28 children in 2007 alone have died as a result of being left in cars. At least 349 such deaths have occured between 1998 and 2007. The following includes excerpts from the afforementioned report.An examination of media reports about the 134 child vehicular hyperthermia deaths from 2004 through 2007 shows the following circumstances:
47% - child "forgotten" by caregiver
25% - child playing in unattended vehicle
21% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult
7% - circumstances unknown Children that have died from vehicular hyperthermia in the United States (1998-2006) have ranged in age from 7 weeks to 13 years. The average age is approximately 21 months. Below are the percentage of deaths (and the number of deaths) sorted by age.
Less than 1 year old = 32% (101)
1-year old = 21% (66)
2-years old = 22% (71)
3-years old = 12% (39)
4-years old = 5% (16)
5-years old = 3% (8)
6-years old = 2% (6)
7-years old = 1% (2)
8-years old = < old =" 1%" old =" 1%" old =" 0%" old =" <" old =" <" unknown =" 1%" href="http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ZURL=%2FSound%2BOff%2Farticles%2F15%2FBREAKING%2BNEWS%2Bgets%2Bhot%2Binside%2Bcar&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dq1z5Q1bR8Fs" rel="nofollow" _extended="true">http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ZURL=%2FSound%2BOff%2Farticles%2F15%2FBREAKING%2BNEWS%2Bgets%2Bhot%2Binside%2Bcar&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dq1z5Q1bR8Fs
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