Casey Gobbert is calling for an improvement in the safety of shopping trolleys after witnessing a trolley roll away and tip with her 17-month-old daughter in the child seat.
Casey’s daughter, Millie fell out of the shopping trolley onto the bitumen, resulting in a large bleed on her brain. The toddler has undergone urgent brain surgery to save her life.
Now her mother is sharing her daughter’s story to warn other parents of the dangers of shopping trolleys and asking for manufacturers to consider a braking system to prevent this type of shopping trolley accident from happening again.
A simple trip to the store
Casey had gone to the shops with her daughter, Millie and son, Lincoln. Around 6:30pm she arrived at her car and loaded her son into his car seat. In the one minute she wasn’t holding onto the trolley, the trolley blew off the kerb and tipped. Millie hit her head on the bitumen.
“It took all of 2 seconds for me to put Linc in car for it to happen (mum guilt is real),” Casey shared on Facebook.
My world stood still, my stomach just dropped. I just freaked out. I picked her up instantly and I could feel the lump already.”
Casey rushed Millie to Logan Emergency and Milie was monitored for several hours. They requested a CT scan which is where they noticed a large brain bleed causing pressure on her brain.
Millie was then transferred to the Brisbane Children’s Hospital and prepped for emergency brain surgery which took two hours. She has just been released from the hospital after a five-day stay.
‘I’m not blaming anyone, I just want some change’
The incident has left Casey shocked and concerned. It took just one small gust of wind for the trolley to wheel away. We’ve all witnessed trolleys doing this and often only stopping if they hit a pole or the side of someone’s car. I’ve also witnessed trolleys topple over after hitting a kerb too quickly.
Imagine if your child was still in the trolley when this happened.
Prams by law have to have a brake and an arm strap. Why should a trolley be any different,” Casey questioned.
I’m not blaming the trolley manufacturer, I’m not blaming the companies, I’m not blaming anyone, I just want some change.”
Casey is now speaking to local members and appeared on A Current Affair to try and get the wheels in motion on safer shopping trolleys.
If I can stop just one family from the traumatic events we have gone through in the last 48 hours then it will be worth it. No family deserves to be told their 17-month old baby girl needs brain surgery from a simple trip to the store.”
Shopping trolley accidents
Shopping trolley accidents are actually incredibly common. While we don’t have the exact number of incidents in Australia, in America, an estimated 24,200 children younger than 15 years, were treated in US hospital emergency departments in just one year.
Falls are the most common mechanism of injury and account for more than half of injuries associated with shopping carts. Cart tip-overs are the second most common mechanism, responsible for up to one-fourth of injuries and almost 40% of shopping cart-related injuries among children younger than 2 years,” one study found.Â
Though some stores in Australia do have brakes on their trolleys, most don’t. Casey is hoping she will be able to help ensure that every trolley is equipped with a braking system so that a shopping trolley accident like Millie’s doesn’t happen to another child.
1 Comment
The walkway down to carpark probably have more slope than is necessary and the carpark surface is sloped too, some more than others. I realise drainage is necessary. I wish they could find another method. I have on many occasions witnessed trolleys rolling down or across driving areas and footpaths next to the buildings. I have personally had more than one roll away from me while loading groceries etc into my car boot. Fortunately I was able to get if before it another car a few times and another time a gutter. I have seen people fall while wheeling them because of the wind. It was fortunate there wasn’t a child in the trolley or walking nearby