Hi °C | Lo °C A COUPLE who lost their three-year-old boy in an accident involving a window blind at the weekend have found the courage to donate their child's organs.
Little Daniel Grant, from Mayobridge in Co Down, died after becoming entangled in a blind cord at his home.
His heartbroken parents Brian and Paula, who have three other young children, made the decision to permit Daniel's organs to be used to save the lives of others. Daniel is thought to have climbed on a windowsill when he slipped and became entangled in the blind cord.
The Stormont Executive has now been urged to launch a safety campaign to make people more aware of the dangers of blind cords.
The call came as statistics revealed that the cords of this type have been responsible for deaths of 25 children in the UK and Ireland since 1999.
Speaking of the tragedy, local SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie paid tribute to the grieving couple for showing "strong integrity" and for "putting others first".
The Grant family is well-known in their home town, owning a local Costcutter. Daniel is expected to be laid to rest at the town's St Patrick's church in the coming days.
Former GAA star Joe Brolly, who donated a kidney to a man he barely knew, was very moved by the Grant family's "sacred gift", which he said could benefit up to eight people.
Unconscious
Meanwhile, another mother spoke about her son's lucky escape after he too became tangled in the cord of a window blind. Caroline Healy from Louisburg, Co Mayo, has revealed how her family was caught up in a similar situation just two weeks ago – but thankfully in their case her infant son was lucky to survive.
She left her son Finian for just moments but found him unconscious and with the cord of the blind on a low window wrapped around his neck.
"I cut him down – I was absolutely frantic," she said.
The 17-month-old was brought to the Mayo General hospital where he was stabilised before being rushed to Our Lady's Hospital, Dublin, where he spent several days in an induced coma. Finian has now made a full recovery.
Irish Independent
