Ashley Regional Medical Center has an important message as summer approaches and temperatures rise. Heatstroke is the number one killer of children, outside of car crashes. Ashley Regional has paired with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to strive to reduce heatstroke deaths by teaching the community the dangers of heatstroke and leaving children in hot cars. “As temperatures rise, the risks of children dying from being left alone inside a hot vehicle also rises,” shares Marketing Director for Ashley Regional Debbie Spafford. “One child dies from heatstroke nearly every 10 days from being left in a hot vehicle, but what is most tragic is that these deaths could have been prevented.” Anyone caring for a child are urged to do three things: NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended, make it a habit to look in the back seat EVERY time you exit the car, and ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach. Anyone that sees a child left alone in a vehicle is urged to call 911 right away.
