Season 2: Episode 11
Hope and Will: A Parenting Podcast from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Golf Cart Safety: How a Casual Ride Led to the Fight of a Lifetime
Remember when hoverboards dominated news headlines? The skateboard-like toys quickly became popular around the holidays in 2015 and, just as quickly, started landing kids in hospitals with injuries.
While hoverboards got a lot of attention, there are other ride-on toys—ones that that might be in your driveway or garage right now—that regularly land kids in our hospitals and urgent cares, with injuries ranging from minor scrapes and gashes all the way up to serious head injuries. Toys like scooters, mopeds, bicycles and, yes, most especially ATVs and golf carts.
Our goal with this episode is not to scare you into getting rid of those toys or create fear around using them. Rather, as the weather warms and families head back outside, we share insight and tips to help keep your family safe and, most importantly, out of our hospital halls.
With golf carts rising in popularity as an easy way to commute around neighborhoods and short distances, we open with a story of a family who had used their golf cart daily for years before one quick tap on the brakes resulted in a harrowing flight on our helicopter.
Whether your kids are just now starting to use a balance bike or regularly grabbing the golf cart keys on their own, this episode has something for you.
Amanda Moore, Oren’s Mom
While teaching summer school, Amanda got “the” call no parent wants to receive. Her 4-year-old son, Oren, had fallen off the back of a golf cart, landing headfirst on the ground. As minutes ticked on, he began getting drowsy and vomiting—telltale signs of a head injury. She needed to get to the local emergency department. And quickly. Amanda shares Oren’s story to raise awareness of the dangers of golf carts and other ride-on toys—even those with which families are very familiar.
Dr. Maneesha Agarwal, Pediatric Emergency Physician
At work, Maneesha Agarwal, MD, cares for sick and injured patients in our emergency departments. At home, she’s Mom to three kids. As a member of Children’s Injury Prevention Program (CHIPP), she is passionate about injury prevention. This is her second time as a guest on our podcast, having previously contributed to season one’s “Snakes in a Yard: How a Basketball Game Ended with a Copperhead Bite.”
Lynn Smith
Lynn Smith is a veteran journalist, podcast host and mom of two boys. Her experience as the parent of a patient at Children’s inspired her to advocate for spreading awareness of childhood illnesses and injuries.
