April is Child Abuse Prevention Month Published April 5, 2012 By Tinker Family Advocacy Program Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Each year the Tinker Family Advocacy Program observes Child Abuse Prevention Month with a variety of activities and a selected theme. This year, FAP has chosen the theme "Be a Life Saver to Your Baby: Practice Safe Sleep." Family Advocacy Outreach Manger Joyce Atlee explained why this theme was picked for 2012. "The first part is a take-off on the theme to be used at the Child Abuse Prevention Day at the State Capitol on April 3, where we will be among many statewide agencies with a display," she said. "Ours will be highlighting the do's and don'ts of putting your baby to bed." Ms. Atlee pointed out that FAP's New Parent Support Program has long helped educate parents on the dangers of unsafe sleeping arrangements, but said that "the point was really driven home to me when I met a mother whose own baby never saw his first birthday because of someone else's carelessness." Melinda Heidling, a former military spouse, has turned her personal tragedy into a drive to teach parents how one mistake can last a lifetime. Her son, Trevor, was spending the night at a relative's home in 2010, a week shy of eight months old. He was placed to sleep in a youth bed, where he slipped between the bed frame and the mattress and suffocated. "After meeting Melinda, I invited her to start speaking at our Baby Business class (for new and expectant parents)," Ms. Atlee said. "She tells the sad story of her son's death and we incorporated photographs into the slides of Trevor, the bed where he died and his grave. Then I tell the audience point-blank that I invite Melinda to speak to make an impact on them. I tell them that I hope her true story scares them!" The year that Trevor Heidling died, the Oklahoma Child Death Review Board reviewed 282 child death cases of children from 0-17 years old. Seventy-nine of those cases were sleep- related deaths, with 31 being infants less than 2 months old. Another 36 deaths were of children from 2-6 months old and 12 babies were over 6 months old. "That adds up to a horrendous number of preventable tragedies," Ms. Atlee said. "Not one of those babies had to die like that." Besides the booth at the state capitol, the Family Advocacy staff plans to be out throughout April with the Practice Safe Sleep display and literature at several locations: the Commissary from 3 to 6 p.m. April 10; Child Development Center East from 3 to 5 p.m. April 12; Base Exchange from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16; the Midwest City Library Child Abuse Prevention Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. April 18; and Child Development Center West from 3 to 5 p.m. April 24. "We will also have two displays set up in the 72nd Medical Group all month," Ms. Atlee said, "as well as two themed bulletin boards there. We want to hit home with this message in as many ways as possible. You never know when someone might take a moment to read a flyer or poster and change how they put their baby to sleep, and perhaps save that child's life." For information about how to practice safe sleep or other child safety-related issues, call Family Advocacy at 734-5397.