4 year old survives 11-story fall

Terry_Lasater

Terry_Lasater

All about the Caption
Wow! :shocked:

Jul 8, 11:57 AM EDT
Boy, 4, survives 11-story fall in Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A 4-year-old boy survived a fall from an 11-story window after being left alone at home, bouncing off a metal awning into a concrete courtyard and then trying to stand up, officials said. He was able to chat with doctors.

"I'm amazed the kid's alive," Police Chief James Tuffey said.

Hasim Townsend remained in serious condition Saturday, a day after his fall, with a broken skull, a broken leg and other injuries.

"It's an incredibly good sign that he was talking, and I can't attribute it to anything other than good luck," said Dr. Michael Dailey, an attending physician in the emergency department.

The boy ended up in the same pediatric intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center where his mother works as a receptionist, police reports said.

Elizabeth Burciaga, 21, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. She initially told police the boy had been left with a baby sitter, officials said.

A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for her, authorities said, and an order of protection to keep her away from the boy has been filed.

The boy stood on a bed and pressed against a window screen, which gave way, police said. He hit the awning about 12 feet off the ground, and it flexed and saved him.
Police came after residents heard him crying. Paramedics had to hold the boy still.

Albany has no regulation requiring bars or other window guards in high-rise apartments, said Steve Longo, executive director of the Albany Housing Authority.
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"The boy ended up in the same pediatric intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center where his mother works as a receptionist, police reports said."

How ironic life is. Put her away. That pisses me off like the people who leave their babies in cars in 95 degree weather.
 
While it's certainly not right to leave a child that young home alone, there's a part of me that understands how this happens.

This kid's mom is out working a job that pays about $9/hr, max. She's trying to establish a good work history and get a better job in the hospital. Anyone here tried to get a babysitter lately? They go for $10/hr and up in my neck of the woods.

So maybe she has a sitter that sits for $5/hr, and the sitter is not that reliable. So the mom is faced with either taking a chance and leaving the kid home alone, or being possibly fired from her job for taking off to take care of her kid.

Like I said, it wasn't right, but there are a lot of people out in the world that have to make a lot of sh**ty choices.
 
Weston said:
thats cool that those awnings really work....just like in the movies
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:grin: :grin:

Sorry to laugh, but Weston has a point.

I could say more, but I won't.


- Mikko ... is glad the kid is ok.
 
Even if her low wage job and fear of being fired were an acceptable excuse, which it's not, there is no reason why there were no window guards.

And what if the kid turned the stove on? A kid alone at such a young age is an extremely dangerous situation. It's like rolling a dice with your kid's life.

I just thank God that that kid is okay.

Alex
 
Of course it's wrong to leave a four year old home alone. Ever. I didn't say it was right (in fact, I stated twice that it was wrong, and a bad choice for her to make).

But often it is single mothers that are left to pick up the pieces. This mom may go to jail, whereas the dad (who probably was never a significant part of this child's life) by skipping out and not doing anything gets off with no responsibility whatsoever.

When single mothers are left with no husband, no family support, and little government support when they try to better themselves, what do we expect?

I am a fairly conservative libertarian type of guy (though you wouldn't know it by reading this thread). But if we don't want generations of people staying on welfare forever, then we need to supply some support (counseling, subsidized child care centers, etc.) for those who are working to get back into the mainstream in society.

And I also believe that some higher power was at work in putting that awning there. Or maybe it was just the greatest coincidence ever.
 
She had the child, its her responsibility to take care of it. end of story. thats what birth control and condoms are for. I have no pity for her and believe that she should have to give the child to a caring family.
 
Zach Lien said:
She had the child, its her responsibility to take care of it. end of story. thats what birth control and condoms are for. I have no pity for her and believe that she should have to give the child to a caring family.
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I agree. Don't have children if you can't afford them. Bottom line.

Moreover, surely this person has some family? She's only 21, so it is logical to assume that a parent, sibling, cousin, or whatever is still alive. Imposing on a familiy member is 30,000 times better than leaving your 4 year old home alone...
 
Joe Kras, I see your point. I am going to bow out of this discussion though. I think we should all let it be. This could potentially get ugly.

Alex
 
It's a crying shame if this kind of discussion could get ugly. I can understand the mac vs pc debates getting ugly, but not a 4 year old falling 11 stories because of a mother's negligence. Even if you can say 'well she has to work hard yada yada,' that still doesn't explain the fact that the window was accessible for the child to get to, or the fact that the child could get into a number of other things- choke, fall down the stairs, start a fire, etc. Those of you who stick up for the mother have some serious re-thinking to do.
 
Joe Kras, I see your point.
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And Alex, as the father of a 4 and a 6 year old, I completely agree with yours.

And I'm going to try to take your suggestion and bow out after this post.

Regards,

Joe
 
I mainly meant ugly in terms of politics. Mainly the societal reasons and such. Everyone here agrees that children shouldn't be left alone.
 
Okay, so she's a bad mother. But she didn't have to be a mother even if she got pregnant. She could have always just givin the kid up and let a couple that's ready to raise a child do that.

Personally I think too many people are having kids that shouldn't be. That's the reason why there are so many f'd up people in the world. People can try and blame it on TV, music and games. But lets get real, it all comes back to how the kids were raised. I mean if you beat I kid like a dog and don't treat them like people. Then guess what...95% of the time your going to get someone that grows up to do the same thing to their kids and so on and so forth.
 
population control; EAT YOUR BABY......................................................................................................................................................................................................................DON'T GET MAD! just think about it............................................................?
 
There is an "old African Saying" -Desmond (for UK viewers ;)

"It takes a whole village to raise a child"

Another (use thick African voice):

"If a man eat a whole cow n choke at da tail, then is no point in eatin da cow"

Anhar

PS Kimko , eat your child, you sicko MJ could be taking notes of you :)
 
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