Saving A Life: PTP

Saving a Life By Saadhvi Narayanan | Whitney Key Club

I remember asking those who I knew one day this question: “What is Pediatric Trauma?”. One looked at me oddly and walked away. The others simply said “I don’t know.”. It did not seem a concern to them, but it would be in the near future.

What is pediatric trauma?

Pediatric trauma, the leading cause of death in children and young infants, occurs when a child or infant experiences a severe injury. Depending on the injury, a child may be forced to endure mental and physical disabilities. After experiencing this children are said to only have a 25% chance of survival after experiencing trauma. Doctors fear to confront Pediatric Trauma, for it may not even be able to be cured. Within the past year, over 175,000 children have experienced pediatric trauma from injuries and over 9,000 were killed. This balances to the rate of 1 child taken for every hour.

What is the problem?

Recent graphs and studies show that the fight to stop pediatric trauma is poorly supported. Within just the United States, only 39 pediatric trauma hospitals exist. Adding to this, pediatric trauma research receives 18 cents from the federal government. This, once again, is small compared to the 17 dollars cancer research receives. Without the financial support, there is no way to provide the medical support needed for the young children to recover, such as scans, treatment, and more.

How can you help?

We may not be able to physically save lives in a hospital, but we can help aid in research by donating. Donating to organizations that support the Pediatric Trauma, such as the Pediatric Trauma Program, can assist the children. This money goes toward building hospitals and funding research. One can also prevent accidents by practicing general safety rules, such as wearing helmets during bike rides, walking on the crosswalks and keeping off the road, and even alerting others when their safety is jeopardized.