A Little Boy’s Artery Got Punctured By Sharp Pencil In His Backpack
Mom’s and Dads – you’ve may have researched backpack safety tips for your little ones and got good information about ergonomic design, posture etc. But have you ever considered that school supplies – such as pencils – may actually be dangerous too?
A little boy in Florida learned this the hard way.
The freak accident occurred when 8-year-old Kolston Moradi was stabbed by a super-sharp pencil which was sticking out of his backpack in his arm, puncturing his artery.
In an interview with ABC News after the incident, Kolston explains, “I put it in my backpack and whenever we were going to the dismissal room and whenever I sat down it hit my artery.”
Thankfully, the teachers in the dismissal room noticed that Moradi was bleeding.
They quickly rushed over and applied pressure to the wound while they waited for the paramedics.
As it turns out, their quick actions actually saved the little boy’s life!
The paramedic said that since the pencil had hit an artery, he would have died if they hadn’t stopped the bleeding. Amazingly, Kolston was back at school the next day!
We know just how frightening these kinds of stories are but how can you protect your little one from these kinds of random and unforeseeable accidents??
Here are a few backpack safety tips to keep in mind when you’re kid goes off to school.
A pencil case
As this child learned the hard way, pencils are sharp!
If he had put his pencils in a pencil case, it would not have been able to poke through the bag. Other school supplies like pens and rulers may also cause nasty scratches if they’re just floating around in a backpack. It’s much safer (and easier to find everything) when they’re located in a pencil case!
A backpack that’s comfortable, please Mom and Dad
Nevermind the characters, look for a backpack that will be comfortable for your little one to wear to school every day!
The ideal backpack should have padding on the shoulder straps and back.
Remind your children to always wear the bag on both shoulders, so the weight is evenly distributed.
Don’t let your kids overload their backpacks!
A heavy backpack puts a lot of stress on your little one’s back and shoulders.
As a general rule, your child’s backpack should not weigh more than 15% of his body weight.
If you notice your little one struggling with their backpack, double check what they are carrying and make sure everything is essential.