A True Story of Hashgocha Protis with a Vital,
Lifesaving Message!
This story happened only a couple of years ago and all the
facts are true. My eldest son was learning in a yeshiva
ketana in the neighborhood at the time. He had already
come home from his long day of learning and suddenly there
was knock on the door. It was a friend and fellow student,
informing my son that they needed him back in yeshiva for
some particular reason right away. My son decided to take his
younger brother's bike in order to get there faster and
probably, also, just for the fun. In any case, somehow, as he
was riding, the front tire became disconnected from the rest
of the bike. Luckily, his friend was close at hand and helped
my son back home.
A trip to the first aid clinic, verified through x-rays that
there were no broken bones, B'H, but he was terribly scraped
up and swollen. We were advised to take him to our
pediatricion within a few days to see how he was healing.
Once again, he came out with a clean bill of health, although
I must admit that he really looked a mess. When our wonderful
doctor heard the details of the accident he rightly told my
son off for NOT WEARING A HELMET.
Riding a bike or motorcycle without a helmet is the Number
One cause of head injuries. It is also one of the primary
sources of death to children. Forgive me for having forgotten
the exact statistics but they are very serious. I knew all
this at the time, but I embarrassingly admit that I was lax.
How many times can I repeat, "Wear your helmet"? My kids
didn't like them any more than anyone else's. They're
uncomfortable, they look silly and they never fit.
Going back to our story... At the end of the z'man,
this same eldest child decided it was time to buy his own
bike, which he actually paid for mostly with his own money
from study prizes, etc. Of course, there was no question that
he would get and wear a helmet. We were actually lucky
because at the time, our community council was selling highly
subsidized helmets. So with bike and helmet and, I might add,
front and back lights, my son did travel, but not for
long.
A week or two later. Time: motzaei Shabbos. My two
oldest sons and a friend had been chosen to be junior
counselors at the local day camp. That night, the boys were
called in to help set up the camp area. Enjoying every
opportunity to ride his bike, my son strapped on his helmet
and was off.
I'm not exactly sure how we found out about the accident.
Maybe it was the local Hatzala man (known as Hachovesh) who
called us to say that our son had been in a car accident. My
husband went zooming down. Forgive me if some of the details
are a bit muddled but essentially they took my son in an
ambulance to the hospital to check for any broken bones or
worse.
This is how it happened. My son was riding down one of the
main streets of the neighborhood with helmet, front light and
back light. Suddenly a car pulled out in front of him and
made a U-turn without signalling! (There was a witness). My
son hit the car, flew right over it and landed on his helmet.
It is clear what the outcome would have been had he not been
wearing that helmet! With tremendous Heavenly mercy, he came
out of the accident with a minor fracture on his nose and
some more scrapes and cuts to add to the ones from the
original accident.
Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov! Looking back, we see how the
first accident actually saved our son's life. And here is the
message I wish so strongly to pass on to the readers: Many
times kids want to borrow bikes and I have to put my foot
down. No helmet, no bike. It's too much of a
responsibility.
Parents, please, I beg of you. Tell your kids my story and
enforce the helmet rule: Even if it is uncomfortable, even if
you think you look silly. Just wear a helmet. They save
lives.
Now is when I get really angry! How many times have you seen
a grown-up riding a bike? Great exercise! A clean, healthy
way to get around. But how many times have you seen a man
with beard and suit riding a bike with no helmet? Far too
many times.
How will we ever teach proper bike safety to the kids, if
they see adults flaunting the rules of common sense? Let me
plead, beg, demand that any adult riding a bike should never
be caught without a helmet on his head. If I've managed to
convince anyone through the pages of this newspaper the
importance of my message, then I will be utterly grateful.
