The school holidays are upon us, and as the beach is proving to be a rather icy option for Australian families, many are instead opting to take their kids to trampolining parks for a fun day out.
That is until parents read this US mother’s heartbreaking plea to mums and dads alike, warning of the moment her son suffered an injury that would leave him stuck in a hip cast for the next six weeks.
In a Facebook post, Kait Ellen revealed that “every day is a struggle” since her three-year-old son Colton fell and broke his thigh bone while jumping alongside his parents.
“As hard as it is to relive the past 12 days, we feel compelled to make other parents aware of the danger associated with indoor trampoline parks.
“Colton fell and broke his femur, the strongest bone in his body, while innocently jumping alongside his dad and I.”
It was only after the tragic accident that Kait discovered her son should never have been allowed to use the trampoline in the first place, clearly for good reason.
“According to the America Academy of Pediatrics and the America Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, ‘children under the age of 6 should never use a trampoline,’” she wrote. “This is due to the fact that their fragile bones are not meant to withstand the repetitive pressure from jumping.”
Colton’s mum and dad had “no idea”, and were only made aware of this guideline during his hospital stay, when it was already too late.
Kait hopes that by sharing little Colton’s story, they may “prevent a child and their family from experiencing the trauma and heartbreak associated with trampoline injuries in young children”.
The Daily Telegraph reports that paramedics were called to 894 trampoline incidences for children aged 0-10 between 2014 and 2016 in NSW alone.
Fair Trading NSW recommends children under six should avoid trampolines more than 550mm from the ground.
Colton pictured with his family before the accident.
For more about the ins and outs of motherhood, LISTEN as host Claire Isaac quizzes Rhian Allen, the Founder and CEO of The Healthy Mummy, on ‘How To Be a Mumpreneur’ in the first episode of our ‘How To Be…’ podcast.
