The month of February has thus far had a tragic beginning for the community of Staffordshire. Two very young children have been killed in almost identical incidents of strangulation by window blind cords. The first victim, Harrison Joyce was only three years old. A beautiful, special little boy who’s life tragically ended on February 4th after he was strangled by a long looped cord. Five days later, 16 month old Lillian Bagnall-Lambe was the second victim to die from the same type of incident. Two precious children, two tragic accidents, one deadly culprit. It’s the type of horrible thing you never think will happen to you, until it does.
In their grief, Harrison’s parents are courageously and compassionately concerned for other children who could be vulnerable to this same type of accidental death, and are now launching an online campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of window treatment looped cords to all parents and child care workers. There have also been cases of infants becoming entangled in the same type of looped cords located above their cribs. Harrison’s parents are desperate to help ensure that no other families have to face what they are going through right now, and experience the overwhelming pain and loss that has changed their lives forever.
The Joyce’s are also working to have ‘Harrison’s Law‘ enacted which would ban the sale of looped cords on window blinds and curtains throughout the UK. They are hoping that their online campaign to raise awareness will help them obtain support for the proposed law to ban these dangerous cords and prevent any further deaths associated with them. Law enforcement in Staffordshire is encouraging parents, grandparents, and child care workers to go through their homes or facilities to look for anything at all that could pose a danger of any kind to their children, including, but not limited to window blinds and curtain looped cords such as the ones that killed Harrison and Lillian.