Beacons

The news that a four year old survived being hit by a car at Kinmel Bay is extremely welcome. McKenzie McKillop’s right femur was broken in the accident, when he was hit by a Vauxhall Vectra on Roseview Crescent in Kinmel Bay. He’d crossed the road, but dropped some jelly cola bottles and went back to get them, last Tuesday, when a car was unable to avoid him. Paramedics took him to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan where he is still being treated in Rupert Ward.

Children - especially boys - are involved in far too many accidents on the roads, and four year olds have little comprehension of the risks. However, what was particularly welcome - and unusual - in this case was the mother’s reaction.

Speaking from his bedside yesterday his mum, Annwen, said she was grateful to the unnamed driver of the silver Vectra, who stopped at the scene, for driving so carefully that her son was not more seriously hurt.

This is in marked contrast to the usual rush by parents to try and blame anyone but themselves in this sort of accident. But that's not all. There’s another interesting aspect to the case: according to the Daily Post, A Good Samaritan – Paul, from a Tattoo parlour in Kinmel Bay – had put McKenzie in the recovery position.
Annwen added: "I thought ‘Oh my goodness, I don’t know what to do’. But Paul said he’s OK. He has a fractured right femur It’s completely broken. He has to stay in hospital for six weeks. The doctors hope it will heal by itself. If it doesn’t, he will have to have pins in it."
Paul’s excellent first aid training undoubtedly helped to mitigate the consequences of the accident for the child, and Annwen’s remarkable attitude in not seeking to apportion blame but rather to thank everyone she could stands out like a beacon in a society which increasingly sees the tendency to claim ‘rights’ and accept few ‘responsibilities’. In fact, both of the individuals in this story are examples of what we - as a society - should be striving towards. One is clearly prepared to ensure he has trained in first aid, something which most of us should seriously consider, and the mother sets an example from which many parents could learn. Let’s hope the little boy recovers well and ends up a little wiser about roads, none the worse for his ordeal and with a full supply of jelly cola bottles.