http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/07/16/imo-view-safety-first-bike-riding.html
Last week, I got my worst nightmare ever when I watched in helpless horror my nephew tumbling down off his bike. He slammed his left shoulder first so hard (it's like watching bikers flew off their bike, and crushed hard on solid concrete during a race on live television) and I couldn't get to him- it was nightmarish. He had been able to ride on a four wheels bicycle since he was four. It was always an easy ride with him. Then, he turned 6 this June and the bike was suddenly a dwarf for him. It’s odd to see him still riding with training wheels. People we encountered during our morning ride had started to throw some comments that he needed a two wheel bicycle for his age. One day, at his school, he managed to ride a two wheel bike. It was his friend actually and twice bigger of my nephew's bike. We were all so excited seeing him waving and smiling widely, saying “Look, I can ride this bike! I don’t need the training wheels!” His face beamed with pride. He kept pedaling in such sweet proud stature. It's like seeing him taking his first step 5 years ago. So, my brother bought him a new bike suitable for his age. It had no training wheels, and its seat could be adjusted to various heights. Even, I could ride on it when it was adjusted to my height. But my nephew found it a bit too big for him. He was terrified and we have tried several times to encourage him to ride. He freaked out and preferred his old four wheels bike. In the end, my brother removed the the training wheels so he would be accustomed to ride in two wheels. He loosened up, and enjoyed the ride. He practiced his balancing & steering, pedaling, and braking in the lane.
So, last Saturday, my brother and I took him for a ride with us with one of his friend next door. He was 8 and my nephew was 6. We took our usual track on weekend. They raced along the way while we followed them close by. I found it hard to stop them from racing. They just ignored our warning. We were thrown off guard when the road forked into a descending slope. Instead of riding ahead like our usual track, my nephew and his friend swerved swiftly into the dangerous lane. He was heading to his future school, and wanted to show it off to his friend. He has been enrolled in that school, and would just begin his 1st grade this July 14. They were speeding down the steep road. I screamed aloud “Stop…slow down!” to no avail. It was too late. I watched in agony as my nephew sped in such clumsy movement. He had a hard time to get hold of his balance on his bike. The bike was too small to support his weight and he’s not yet accustomed to ride in such difficult descending road without the training wheels. Everything suddenly went into a slow motion as my nephew lost his balance. The bike threw him off his bike into a sharp tumble on the hard concrete. I heard a loud crack sound of solid substance smashed into solid concrete “Braaaaakkkk”. “Zakiiiiii…!” I choked in breath as I rushed my bike forward in desperation. He smashed his shoulder first, rolled over twice, before halted into a stop. He managed to sit in an awkward position when I arrived seconds later. He stifled a cry. I secured my bike on the side of the road, and rushed to hold him. He was now crying in pain. I assessed the damage. I firsthand checked his head and face, looking for some internal injuries. To my relieved, his head was all OK. I saw only minor scratch on his left temple. Despite his sharp fall, it was a miracle he did not suffer a head trauma. I was glad but I still felt like a really bad auntie. My brother joined us and inspected further. His knees and elbow was bleeding, some bruises on his left arm and leg. It all seemed minor external injuries. It was when I touched his shoulder, he cried out in pain. I hold him in my lap, trying to comfort him. “It hurt,” He kept saying anytime we touched his shoulder. He didn’t dare to move so I just cradled him in my lap while he cried.
People started to come, offering some help. I knew that something had gone wrong with his left shoulder. The impact of the blow must create a bone fracture. We were so afraid. So, when someone said there’s a traditional massage therapist living nearby the vicinity, I carried him to his house which was only meters away. He was said to have developed a reputation for the ability to cure bone-, joint- and muscle-related complaints. The skills have been handed down from generation to generation, a tradition accompanied by a kind of mystic aura. Yes, we are lucky that in Indonesia, there are "tukang pijit" in every nook and cranny of the country, in every village, town and city. I laid him on the wooden bed on his porch, and the ‘tukang pijit’ started to work his miracle, so I hoped. The elderly ‘tukang pijit’ said he would be OK. It was just a dislocated joint and asked us to come again by the next day in case the injury got swollen. My nephew had stopped crying. I called my husband later on to fetch us. His mother soon arrived, and took him to her care.
As much as we believe in such traditional therapy (my uncle broke his leg a few years back and the doctor advised him to get a surgery. He refused and went to such ‘tukang pijit’ instead. His leg was saved miraculously), we went to E.R and took x-rays to be sure. The tech/doc said my nephew suffered a bone fracture on his shoulder blade. He needed the surgery soon to make the bone intact by inserting a pen. We were all shocked to hear this. He was just 6. It was just too much for him to undergo such surgery. I felt miserable. “I was a lousy auntie for not taking good care of him…I should have known it’s coming.” My brother went on some phone calls to ask for second opinion. We didn’t want him having surgery. The docs finally called the orthopedic doctor/surgeon, and to our relief, he instructed the junior docs to put my nephew under observation for the day until he arrived at the hospital in the evening. We immediately booked a room by 9 a.m and waited there. He was only given a pain killer and some iodine on his external injuries. The orthopedic doctor/surgeon arrived at 8.30 p.m. He examined the injuries and the bone, also the x-rays result. He said since my nephew was still so young and weighted no more than 22 kilos, he didn’t have to get a surgery. The doctor said he was lucky he didn’t suffer any serious wounds, and that he hasn't suffered a concussion or other internal damage, including a serious head injury (such as a skull fracture or intracranial injury). The doctor only put on an elastic bandage under his two armpits up to his neck to align the broken bone of his shoulder blade in its proper place. He said an elastic bandage wrapped around an injured shoulder will help prevent over-extension of the shoulder and protect it by providing added padding. The elastic bandage should still allow my nephew for some movement in the shoulder. He said his young age could speed up the healing process. We were all so glad. My nephew fell asleep almost immediately afterwards.
We were all so tired that day. It was a real nightmare to watch helplessly the one we loved dearly got such accident because of our foolish mistake, “for not keep an eye on him.” And we should have him wrist, elbow and knee pads plus helmet to ensure his safety. So, next time we take a ride “keep in our mind, safety first.”
A bicycle serves as the first mode of transportation for many children. I remember my first bike when I was in kindergarten. I fell many times before I was able to ride on it. For me, a bicycle is more of a vehicle than a toy during that day. My childhood friends and I used to ride for hours for fun. Many used them as means of transport to school. The entertainment value of riding bikes sometimes overshadows the potential dangers of whizzing down the street on two wheels. Therefore, bike safety instruction makes children more aware of the potential risks and how to reduce the chances of serious injury, including head injuries and broken bones. It is an obligatory for parents to teach their children bicycle safety before they pedal a bike for the first time. The most important is to equip the children with safety gears before embark on a ride; wrist, elbow and knee pads plus helmet, and gloves if necessary.
Last week, I got my worst nightmare ever when I watched in helpless horror my nephew tumbling down off his bike. He slammed his left shoulder first so hard (it's like watching bikers flew off their bike, and crushed hard on solid concrete during a race on live television) and I couldn't get to him- it was nightmarish. He had been able to ride on a four wheels bicycle since he was four. It was always an easy ride with him. Then, he turned 6 this June and the bike was suddenly a dwarf for him. It’s odd to see him still riding with training wheels. People we encountered during our morning ride had started to throw some comments that he needed a two wheel bicycle for his age. One day, at his school, he managed to ride a two wheel bike. It was his friend actually and twice bigger of my nephew's bike. We were all so excited seeing him waving and smiling widely, saying “Look, I can ride this bike! I don’t need the training wheels!” His face beamed with pride. He kept pedaling in such sweet proud stature. It's like seeing him taking his first step 5 years ago. So, my brother bought him a new bike suitable for his age. It had no training wheels, and its seat could be adjusted to various heights. Even, I could ride on it when it was adjusted to my height. But my nephew found it a bit too big for him. He was terrified and we have tried several times to encourage him to ride. He freaked out and preferred his old four wheels bike. In the end, my brother removed the the training wheels so he would be accustomed to ride in two wheels. He loosened up, and enjoyed the ride. He practiced his balancing & steering, pedaling, and braking in the lane.
So, last Saturday, my brother and I took him for a ride with us with one of his friend next door. He was 8 and my nephew was 6. We took our usual track on weekend. They raced along the way while we followed them close by. I found it hard to stop them from racing. They just ignored our warning. We were thrown off guard when the road forked into a descending slope. Instead of riding ahead like our usual track, my nephew and his friend swerved swiftly into the dangerous lane. He was heading to his future school, and wanted to show it off to his friend. He has been enrolled in that school, and would just begin his 1st grade this July 14. They were speeding down the steep road. I screamed aloud “Stop…slow down!” to no avail. It was too late. I watched in agony as my nephew sped in such clumsy movement. He had a hard time to get hold of his balance on his bike. The bike was too small to support his weight and he’s not yet accustomed to ride in such difficult descending road without the training wheels. Everything suddenly went into a slow motion as my nephew lost his balance. The bike threw him off his bike into a sharp tumble on the hard concrete. I heard a loud crack sound of solid substance smashed into solid concrete “Braaaaakkkk”. “Zakiiiiii…!” I choked in breath as I rushed my bike forward in desperation. He smashed his shoulder first, rolled over twice, before halted into a stop. He managed to sit in an awkward position when I arrived seconds later. He stifled a cry. I secured my bike on the side of the road, and rushed to hold him. He was now crying in pain. I assessed the damage. I firsthand checked his head and face, looking for some internal injuries. To my relieved, his head was all OK. I saw only minor scratch on his left temple. Despite his sharp fall, it was a miracle he did not suffer a head trauma. I was glad but I still felt like a really bad auntie. My brother joined us and inspected further. His knees and elbow was bleeding, some bruises on his left arm and leg. It all seemed minor external injuries. It was when I touched his shoulder, he cried out in pain. I hold him in my lap, trying to comfort him. “It hurt,” He kept saying anytime we touched his shoulder. He didn’t dare to move so I just cradled him in my lap while he cried.
People started to come, offering some help. I knew that something had gone wrong with his left shoulder. The impact of the blow must create a bone fracture. We were so afraid. So, when someone said there’s a traditional massage therapist living nearby the vicinity, I carried him to his house which was only meters away. He was said to have developed a reputation for the ability to cure bone-, joint- and muscle-related complaints. The skills have been handed down from generation to generation, a tradition accompanied by a kind of mystic aura. Yes, we are lucky that in Indonesia, there are "tukang pijit" in every nook and cranny of the country, in every village, town and city. I laid him on the wooden bed on his porch, and the ‘tukang pijit’ started to work his miracle, so I hoped. The elderly ‘tukang pijit’ said he would be OK. It was just a dislocated joint and asked us to come again by the next day in case the injury got swollen. My nephew had stopped crying. I called my husband later on to fetch us. His mother soon arrived, and took him to her care.
As much as we believe in such traditional therapy (my uncle broke his leg a few years back and the doctor advised him to get a surgery. He refused and went to such ‘tukang pijit’ instead. His leg was saved miraculously), we went to E.R and took x-rays to be sure. The tech/doc said my nephew suffered a bone fracture on his shoulder blade. He needed the surgery soon to make the bone intact by inserting a pen. We were all shocked to hear this. He was just 6. It was just too much for him to undergo such surgery. I felt miserable. “I was a lousy auntie for not taking good care of him…I should have known it’s coming.” My brother went on some phone calls to ask for second opinion. We didn’t want him having surgery. The docs finally called the orthopedic doctor/surgeon, and to our relief, he instructed the junior docs to put my nephew under observation for the day until he arrived at the hospital in the evening. We immediately booked a room by 9 a.m and waited there. He was only given a pain killer and some iodine on his external injuries. The orthopedic doctor/surgeon arrived at 8.30 p.m. He examined the injuries and the bone, also the x-rays result. He said since my nephew was still so young and weighted no more than 22 kilos, he didn’t have to get a surgery. The doctor said he was lucky he didn’t suffer any serious wounds, and that he hasn't suffered a concussion or other internal damage, including a serious head injury (such as a skull fracture or intracranial injury). The doctor only put on an elastic bandage under his two armpits up to his neck to align the broken bone of his shoulder blade in its proper place. He said an elastic bandage wrapped around an injured shoulder will help prevent over-extension of the shoulder and protect it by providing added padding. The elastic bandage should still allow my nephew for some movement in the shoulder. He said his young age could speed up the healing process. We were all so glad. My nephew fell asleep almost immediately afterwards.
We were all so tired that day. It was a real nightmare to watch helplessly the one we loved dearly got such accident because of our foolish mistake, “for not keep an eye on him.” And we should have him wrist, elbow and knee pads plus helmet to ensure his safety. So, next time we take a ride “keep in our mind, safety first.”
A bicycle serves as the first mode of transportation for many children. I remember my first bike when I was in kindergarten. I fell many times before I was able to ride on it. For me, a bicycle is more of a vehicle than a toy during that day. My childhood friends and I used to ride for hours for fun. Many used them as means of transport to school. The entertainment value of riding bikes sometimes overshadows the potential dangers of whizzing down the street on two wheels. Therefore, bike safety instruction makes children more aware of the potential risks and how to reduce the chances of serious injury, including head injuries and broken bones. It is an obligatory for parents to teach their children bicycle safety before they pedal a bike for the first time. The most important is to equip the children with safety gears before embark on a ride; wrist, elbow and knee pads plus helmet, and gloves if necessary.
No comments:
Post a Comment