This Toddler's Near-Death Is A Terrifying Reminder To Get Rid Of Corded Blinds

A mom shares the story of her son’s close call with corded blinds to warn other parents of the dangers they pose

Mom Arika Hernandez took to Facebook earlier this month to share the terrifying story of her three-year-old son’s very close call with a set of corded blinds in his bedroom.

“I have gone back and forth about posting this or not posting this but I believe if this post saves one child’s life it’s worth being vulnerable,” she writes.

Calling her son “a survivor,” the mom recounts the day her little boy got caught with a blind cord around his neck — from the top of a bunk bed.

“On January 7th our son climbed up to the top bunk bed and wrapped the blind cords around his neck. He then began to walk down the ladder as the cords tightened he panicked and tried to yell for mom and dad but nothing came out,” she writes. Along with the story, the mom shared chilling photos of the marks left by the blinds on her son’s neck.

Hernandez says her son tried to escape on his own, and it was only by luck that he managed to break free. “He scratched at the cords to loosen them but all he could grab was skin. At the last attempt to get free he jumped to come get us and that very jump saved his life! The cord snapped and freed him! We heard a loud thud (his jump) and then his loud scream! This was not just any scream it is one I have never heard in my life and it will forever be ringing in my ears,” she shares.

Cue every parent everywhere feeling a chill up their spine.

Hernandez says they took their little boy to the ER to be checked out after the terrifying accident. She says those cords aren’t meant to break and the family is “counting their blessings” that the child was OK in the end.

Now, she’s speaking out about their scary ordeal to warn other parents of the hazard.

“Please please please take my message and take action now,” she pleads. “NO CORDED BLINDS ARE SAFE! They now sell cordless blinds and they are worth every penny.”

She warns that even cutting the cords on corded blinds isn’t enough to ensure children are safe. “The cords can not be cut short to make them safer… there are still inner cords and if the cord is pulled so the blinds go all the way up, that pull cord will then be long enough to make a loop & strangle a child,” she says.

The mom is completely correct, and thankfully, the sale of corded blinds is now mostly banned due to new safety regulations. But of course, many homes might still have corded blinds purchased long before the new standards were enacted. The new regulations were put in place because the hazard is very real — a study published last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the genuine danger of cord injuries and deaths. Between 1990 and 2015, the study estimates there were 16,827 window blind-related injuries among children younger than six years of age who were treated in emergency departments in the U.S.

Hernandez fully understands how fortunate she is that her son wasn’t more severely injured — or worse. “My heart goes out the families that have lost their loved ones this way I am so sorry for that heart ache and can’t imagine the pain you have gone through,” she says. She’s also issuing a call to action reminding parents that kids are unpredictable — so we have to do our best to keep them safe in every environment.

“These accidents can be prevented let’s take action now! You can never be too safe in your own home,” she cautions. “This is something I didn’t think my kids would do because I am constantly nagging them about not putting things around their neck. Kids will be kids and they explore, my son told me he was making a necklace and that’s why it was around his neck.”

Hernandez concludes her post by begging others to share her story — and to be grateful for their healthy little ones.

“Please help me save the next kid and share this message. Most importantly hug the people that mean the most to you. Be grateful you have another beautiful day with them.”