As a parent I can only imagine the overwhelming sense of loss that Mike Tyson and the mother of his four-year-old daughter must be feeling right now. While the mother was cleaning in another room in her Phoenix, Arizona home, little Exodus Tyson was playing on a treadmill and somehow managed to get her head through a hanging cord loop that acted like a noose around her neck when she apparently slipped and could not free herself.

Her seven-year-old brother found her and summoned his mother when he could not free her either. Responding paramedics and Phoenix Police arrived at the home after a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child around 10:30 a.m. on Memorial Day Monday, May 25, 2009. CPR was administered and Exodus was taken to a local hospital where she was put on life support. At 11:45 Tuesday she was taken off the machines and pronounced dead in what preliminary police reports call a tragic accident.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) lists Unintentional Injury as the leading cause of death in age groups from 1-44. Motor vehicle accidents top the list in this category with drowning coming in second. Within the home there are numerous potential threats to children such as poisoning, traumatic brain injury from a fall, fireworks, and residential fire-related injuries where children 4 years and younger are in the highest risk group for death and injuries. Lack of oxygen to the brain in this instance caused too much damage to the young child’s brain to expect any quality of life for her in the future so she was taken off life support so she wouldn’t have to be kept alive in a vegetative state with no hope of recovery.

Parents need to remember that even though they are in the home with their children they still need to be aware of the potential dangers to young ones.  I’m not suggesting following them around like a mother hen, but examine the home to see where hazards may be.  Strangulation and suffocation hazards should be out of reach of young children. Cleaning fluids that look like punch and any other chemicals that canParents need to remember that even though they are in the home with their children they still need to be aware of the potential dangers to young ones. harm children or pets should be used carefully and kept away from inquisitive explorers, even leaving products accessible to go answer the phone quickly, etc., can be too long without supervision. Obviously swimming pools should be gated and/or covered because it only takes a few minutes without oxygen to the brain to cause permanent impairments or death.

We don’t know what treadmill model was involved in this incident, but I looked at some models online and could see a dangling cord from the consoles of some that could seem inviting to a young child playing. This accident may or may not lead to any cause of action against the manufacturer, but what if this happened in a home where another child was visiting or an in-home daycare where the unnoticed child slipped away for a few minutes and it was too late? The homeowners insurance could possibly cover the medical bills resulting from unintentional injuries, and in the case of accidental death no amount of money in the world can replace a lost life or quality of life to a permanently damaged brain.

Please examine your own home and visiting surroundings to protect your loved ones from anything like this happening to them!