Sophie’s Story
One hot summer day, two loving parents faced the unthinkable tragedy of losing a child. On the way to work, baby Sophie sat quietly in the back seat of her parents’ vehicle. Changes to their regular routine led them to miss their usual stop at daycare that morning, and they unintentionally left Sophie in the car as the temperature rose throughout the following hours.
“When we first became parents, we read all the “how-to” books,” her parents remember. “We bought outlet covers and baby gates. We locked up our medicines and installed cabinet locks to keep our little ones safe. Accidentally leaving one of our children in the car is not something we ever imaged we could do. Our kids are the lights of our lives, and such a failure didn’t seem possible.”
In Sophie’s memory, her parents and St. Louis Children’s Hospital developed Sophie’s KISS (Keeping Infants Safe and Secure), an outreach program aimed at educating parents about the risks of hyperthermia (overheating) and providing simple tips to prevent similar accidents.
“Our hearts broke that day, and we still grieve her loss. We hope that by reminding parents to think about car safety and by providing them with simple tips, others may be spared the heartache we have known.”
Develop a routine to prevent tragedy. We offer suggested tips on how to prevent your child from being left in the car – even when your child is asleep in the back seat; even on your busiest morning.
