MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - We are in the peak of summer trauma season and doctors warn that heat, pools and fireworks could make for a dangerous weekend ahead.
Chief of Emergency Services at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Dr. Barry Gilmore says, "We always expect during the summer for our traumas to go up but it's been particularly busy this year."
Thursday, 3-year-old Ava Grace Hart died at Le Bonheur after being found in a pool on Sunday. During a one hour prayer vigil held in her honor, four helicopters landed on the top of the hospital. Gilmore says, "We have seen an increase in our traumas."
The average for the pediatric trauma center is anywhere from one to four helicopters a day, Gilmore says, that's gone up considerably. "It's not unusual to get four plus helicopters in a very short period of time," he says.
School's out, the sun's out and kids are playing outside; Gilmore says Le Bonheur is swamped. "Kids in bike wrecks, falls off outside play equipment, trampolines, we've had a series of drownings and near drownings from pools."
This weekend is set to bring in its own set of problems with the Fourth of July and fireworks around the corner. "Every year we deal with a number of children with significant eye injuries," Gilmore says, "Injuries to hands and fingers, and burns from those things. Those really, really have to be supervised."
According to Gilmore at least 25 helicopters have landed at Le Bonheur within the last week. He also reminds parents, a toddler can drown in just a bucket of water and it only takes one minute.
