Think of Zoe, mow the lawn safely

Dear Editor,

When it comes to accidents, it’s common to think, ‘Oh, it will never happen to us.’ That is what we thought until our nine-year-old daughter, Zoe, a member of the War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program, lost her leg in a lawn mower accident.

A few years ago, Zoe was playing outside when she slipped on the grass and fell underneath a riding lawn mower. This was a difficult time for us, but today, Zoe is an active and energetic child thanks to help from the War Amps with financial assistance for artificial legs, regional seminars and peer support.

With lawn cutting season here, we want to help spread the message across the country that kids should never be around lawn mowers. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. We hope that Zoe’s story will help prevent even just one child from being injured.

If you would like to learn more about how to encourage children to play safely, please visit waramps.ca.

Denise Roussel and Marc Gottwald