Published: November 15, 2009 02:24 am      

Hospital giving local children free helmets

Baptist Orange Hospital has partnered with local doctors to ensure the safety and health of local children who are riding bicycles, skateboards or skates by giving away free helmets.

About 400 helmets are going to be given away 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 24 in the lobby of the hospital located at 608 Strickland Drive. On hand to make sure the helmets are fitted properly are doctors Marty Rutledge, Dan Martin and Kimberly Martin.

The Orange County bicycle giveaway is part of a statewide effort which was launched in 1994 by the Texas Medical Association. The program is designed to educate children and their parents on preventing a head injury by wearing the helmets. The event is sponsored by the Orange County Medical Society, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas and the Texas Medical Association.

About 250 children under the age of 14 in the U.S. die each year because of bicycle crashes. Another 300,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for severe head injuries. Many of the accidents could have been prevented if the child had worn a bicycle helmet.

“Wearing a bicycle helmet is such a simple way to help ensure a child’s health and safety,’’ said Dr. Marty Rutledge, local physician. “We physicians want to encourage this easy and effective safety practice by putting a helmet on every child’s head.”

Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability from bicycle crashes. Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent. However, only about 40 percent of cyclists wear a helmet when they ride.

Since the program began, more than 55,000 helmets have been given away.

Funding for the program is provided by donations from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and gifts from physicians and their families.



Debby Schamber is a reporter for the Orange Leader. She can be reached at 409-883-3571 ext. 2609 or at dschamber@orangeleader.com.