ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Wisconsin family is counting their blessings this week and issuing a warning to other parents.
Nate and Cassandra Sonnentag of Baldwin said they almost lost their 4-year-old daughter to an avoidable accident.
Little Ahriana was in her playroom alone on January 29 when a 150-pound television fell on her.
The TV had been on top of a dresser when the child tried to retrieve a toy she saw on top and tried to climb up.
“I mean it took my husband and another guy just his size (large) just to get it up there,” said Cassandra. “We never assumed the kids would mess with it. We never assumed she would, she would climb on it.”
“They were downstairs playing,” said Nate. “We had gone upstairs to make them lunch. Went upstairs and heard a crash. and went running downstairs.”
The 36 inch TV had toppled onto the girl.
“She was seized up. She was not moving. She was not breathing. I thought she was dead,” said Cassandra tearfully.
The parents, with Ahriana and Aurora, 21 months, spoke with reporters at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Ahriana was airlifted to Regions and Gillette hospitals as soon as doctors in Baldwin saw the extent of her injuries.
“It hit her in the eye and knocked her out and then the TV landed on the back of her head and she has a skull fracture, from the top to the bottom,” said Cassandra. “They used to see cases like this 20 years ago when everybody had a box TV and the outcomes were never this good. They usually did not survive.”
Actually, such accidents are unfortunately common, according to Dr. Michael McGonigal, Pediatric Trauma Surgeon. “Most of the time people do not realize how frequent this is because usually, across the country, 30 kids per day end up having a television fall on them.”
McGonigal says about every other week, one of those accidents is fatal, but preventable.
“We had heard the warnings a couple of years ago on securing your dressers and securing TVs to the wall, but it was kind of like a mother-in-law thing,” said Cassandra. “We thought, she knows everything, so we really didn’t listen to it. We assumed she would never get on that dresser.”
When Ahriana finally began talking to her parents again on Wednesday, the tyke told her Mom and Dad that a “TV hit me”. She also said that her invisible friends pushed her and saved her. They excitedly recorded her comments.
“Why cannot Mom and Dad see them?” asked Cassandra.
“Cause they do not know you,” replied Ahriana. “They do not know anyone, except me.”
“We like to believe that is her guardian angel,” said Cassandra.
The Cassandra Sonnentag said she and Nate know that some people will question their conduct as parents, but said “I am right there with her all the time and I was five seconds walking out of that room and she got up there So, no matter what kind of mom you are, you cannot protect her. They are going to do stuff. They are going to climb.”
Saturday is the annual National Safe Child TV Day, when parents on Super Bowl weekend are urged to anchor TVs and TV stands, including dressers. The Sonnentags want other parents to go further. She wants people to get rid of old, heavy, box type TVs.
“The bad part is it is a silent killer just waiting to fall,” said Cassandra, “and with us, we were lucky. She should not be here and I thank God every day for that, but I want people to know that it is a danger.”