Parenthood
Grandmas Warns About Dangers Of Forward Facing Car Seats
Grandmother Tanya Bender wants parents to know the dangers of moving to a forward-facing car seat too early.
D.G. Sciortino
03.13.18

All parents know about the importance of getting a good car seat for their children and installing it properly. Grandmother Tanya Bender and family thought they were following all the right car seat rules… and they were.

Despite this, Bender’s granddaughter Aniyah is partially paralyzed after being internally decapitated during a car accident.

Now Bender is warning others about the dangers of moving to a forward-facing car seat too early. While the story is a tough one to hear, and to tell, it’s something people need to know.

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

“In most states, the minimum requirement to forward-face is 2 years old,” Bender wrote in the group, Keeping Littles Safe In Carseats, Love What Matters reports.

“Aniyah was 2 years old when she was in a car accident forward-facing. Her seat was correctly installed in the car seat according to the car seat requirements and the law now. If she had been rear-facing, she would have not suffered any injury at all.”

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

The family had no idea that their precious Aniyah was in any danger when they strapped her into her car seat.

“Aniyah turned 2 on February 28th and the accident happened on May 22nd. She was waiting happily for her mom to pick her up for the day, and we put the car seat in the car forward-facing and strapped her in,” Bender told Love What Matters

“They left the house and about 5 miles down the road, they got into a car accident that resulted in the car hitting a brick pillar that held up signs for a business, and the car flipped upside down.”

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

The accident left the little girl internally decapitated. She had to undergo an 8-hour surgery to reattached her insides.

“Due to the force, Aniyah was internally decapitated at her C1 completely. She had several breaks between C1 and C7 and also suffered a complete tear at her C5 of her nerve root that controls her arm,” Bender said.

“She was life-flighted to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, after a long 12 hours at the local hospital. She underwent an 8-hour surgery to fuse her entire neck and put a halo on.”

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

The accident left Aniyah partially paralyzed but it’s basically a miracle that she survived at all.

“We spent the next two weeks there at the hospital. When we arrived at home, we had to teach her how to sit up again, walk again, and how to use her hand and lower arm again. It has been two years in May of this year and she is finally able — with constant occupational therapy — to use the lower part of her arm but will never be able to use it fully,” Bender wrote.

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

“Due to her full neck fusion she will never be able to jump on trampolines, ride horses, do cheerleading, sports that require her to be physical or even tumbling. It is too dangerous for re-injury to her neck. The fusion Aniyah had is very rare to survive from, according to her doctors at Doernbechers.”

Even though the law says you can switch your child to a forward-facing car seat at 23 pounds or 2-years-old, Benders says it’s best to wait until they are between 40 to 50 pounds.

Tanya Bender
Source:
Tanya Bender

“I want people to understand that although the laws may say you can forward-face your child at 23-pounds or 2 years old in some states, the best thing is to always rear-face until at least 40-pounds or even 50-pounds if you can do so,” Bender said.

Love What Matters
Source:
Love What Matters

Waiting that little while could save your child’s life.

“Aniyah would not have had any injuries at all if she had been rear-facing in the accident. She is learning to function very well with her disabilities and is thriving now.”

Some parents say they are changing their minds about car seats after seeing Bender’s post.

“Oh wow this makes me want to turn my son around he just turn 3 in the fall. But about 30lbs only,” said one parent on Facebook.

Facebook Screenshot
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Facebook Screenshot

“It’s so scary to think that in the UK the law allows us to forward face from 9 months. I can’t wait until the day they change the law. car accidents don’t care about the law at all. I’m so glad she’s doing better now,” said another.

We’re so glad that little Aniyah is doing well and that other parents are becoming aware of this issue so that they can protect their own children.

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