Don't Drink and Dive
Several years ago I met a college student who told me this
story. He was a
cross-country runner in high school and college and he took a job as a
laborer working to repair roads near his home.
It was a sweltering July afternoon and he and his work mates
were repairing some potholes on a small bridge.
The heat was almost insufferable so they found a shaded area on
the side of the bridge and broke early for lunch.
This young man, being the college student of the bunch, had a
brilliant idea to cool himself off.
Just below the bridge was a stream and the water looked so
cool. He picked up a
large rock and tossed it over the bridge.
Kerplunk! It
seemed that the water was deep so he stripped off his T-shirt and
boots, leaving only his shorts, and dove over 20 feet into 10
inches of water! He
was rendered a quadriplegic. His
mates rescued him and today, of course, he no longer runs or walks but
he has made great strides speaking publicly about his spinal cord
injury.
A
spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that may result in a
loss of movement and feelings below the level of injury. There are about 7,800 new spinal cord injuries each year in
the United States and it is estimated that there are more than 4,000
more spinal cord injuries each year that result in death before
reaching the hospital. The
most common causes of spinal cord injuries include motor vehicle
accident, acts of violence, falls, and sports.
Two thirds of sports injuries are from diving, often involving
impaired judgement from alcohol intoxication.
Of the 250-400,000 individuals who are living with spinal cord
injuries, 82% are male and 18% are female.
The average lifetime cost for a patient rendered quadriplegic
is nearly $1,000,000 and this does not include any indirect costs such
as lost wages, fringe benefits or productivity.
THINK
FIRST is an award-winning public education effort designed to teach
high risk young people about personal vulnerability and risk taking.
It teaches them how to use their minds to protect their body so
that they may continue to have a fun-filled, exciting life without
getting hurt. This
program is available in most communities and it is certainly available
in ours.
PREVENTION
TIPS:
·
Always
wear proper sports safety gear.
·
Always
check the depth of water before diving in
·
Dive
feet first the first time!
·
Never
dive into a pool unless it is 9 feet or deeper; never dive into an
above ground pool.
·
Teach
your children alternative ways to solve arguments and fights without
guns or violence. If you
own a gun, keep it unloaded and locked up and store the bullets in a
separate location.
Since 1990, acts of violence have nearly doubled as a cause for
spinal cord injury. This
trend is alarming and we must speak to our children and young adults
and teach them, by example, emotional control and how they may use the
creative positive potential of their minds to problem solve.
WORLDWIDE
WEB SITES:
THINK FIRST Foundation
http://www.thinkfirst.org/home.htm
THINK
FIRST is an award-winning public education program by The American
Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons which provides information on injury prevention targeted
towards children and adolescents.
Missouri HEADS UP Program
http://www.hsc.missouri.edu/~thinkfirst/history.html
The Missouri
HEADS UP program addresses the critical issue of traumatic brain and
spinal cord injury with a goal of increasing public understanding of
how to prevent injuries.
The National Spinal Cord Injury Association
http://www.erols.com/nscia/
The
National Spinal Cord Injury Association is an international resource
whose mission is to enable people with spinal cord injury to achieve
their highest level of independence and personal fulfillment.
Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Paralysis Guide to Support
Organizations
http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu/paral-r.htm
This site contains address and contact
information for organizations providing support for and education of
patients with spinal injuries and their families and friends. |
