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I think driving your sick or hurt child to the hospital is one of the most dangerous things to do. Talk about being distracted!
On Monday night, Sophia suddenly started crying uncontrollably and wouldn’t sleep. I took her to the clinic and the doctor told me to take her to the hospital immediately — that she might have a bowel obstruction. (You can read the whole story over here…)
Basically, I didn’t really think the doctor was right… but he did start me worrying.
So as I drove Sophia into Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital, my mind raced. I thought of all the amazing mom bloggers who have shared their terrifying and heartbreaking journeys of sickness and loss. I thought of their faith and how they leaned on God and the community. And it gave me such strength.
I remembered driving this same road 4 years earlier with a screaming 4 week old Julia. That night I was sick with panic as Julia’s stomach was hard and distended. That night I was terrified that Julia had a bowel obstruction or some other terrible complication.
But with Julia, I hadn’t been driving the car. I was an obvious basket-case and so my mom came with me and drove the car.
This time with Sophia, I wasn’t panicked — I was quite sure that this was just another scare like I’d had with Julia.
But, I was still distracted. With my sick, screaming baby in the backseat and my mind racing through possible scenarios, how could I not be distracted?
I’d made it through the freeway, and I was in the city and stopped at a red light. There were two pedestrians crossing the road in front of my car, and I noticed how the man looked just like the pediatrician who had examined Julia when she was born.
I was lost in thought and as the pedestrians stepped up on the curve, I took my foot off the brake and slowly started moving forward.
Something felt a little wrong, the other cars weren’t moving. And then I heard honking. I looked up and saw a red light and it took a second to register what was happening. I was driving through the red light. But it was too late to stop, I had to get out of the intersection before I was hit.
Cars blasted their horns and I was so embarrassed and terrified and relieved. And I felt so guilty. My baby could have been killed because I was distracted.
I am so very fortunate that there had not been any traffic coming through the intersection. My mind was sick with “What if’s”. I tried to pull myself together and concentrate as hard as I could for the rest of the drive.
But I’m still shaken up by my mistake. It all could have ended so tragically differently.
I think the next time I have to drive my child to the hospital, I’m going to ask my husband or someone else to do the driving.
What about you? Have you ever made a driving mistake because of being distracted?
Written by Susan, co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom.
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faerylandmom says
I’ve done the same sorts of things at times…I understand. I’m glad you’re all okay!
DJ says
I glad to hear everyone was eventually ok and that no one hit you. I find anytime my son is crying in the car, very distracting. I often have to pull over because I just can’t concentrate when I hear crying. Sometimes I think he fakes tears now, just to get my attention, but still better safe than sorry.
Kelly Smith says
This week alone I thought I was going to kill myself and the kids, when caught driving on the highway during a major thunderstorm-the kind where you cant see anything-with my 5 kids in the car and my 4 year old barfing her guts out into a bowl. In typical male fashion, the 3 boys were gagging. I was yelling at my 10year old daughter to help hold the barf bowl and praying i could get off the highway to dump it!!
a few days prior, my 7 year old was stung by a wasp while i was driving, and because he is highly allergic to mosquito bites, i was driving fast to get him home, just in case he was also allergic to wasp stings to give him antihistamines. thought for sure I would end up with a police escort at the very least!
Mary says
I once was talking on my cellphone while driving. I came to a light. Stopped. I finished my conversation and drove through the light – which hadn’t changed yet. Yikes. That basically cured me from talking while driving (well, that and then my mother-in-law’s foot got run over while she was standing on the sidewalk by someone not paying attention while talking on a cellphone and driving, so cellphone talking & driving are kind of frowned on in our family…)
Miranda says
I’ve done it before, too and it’s scary. I’m glad you’re all okay. It’s so hard to drive with screaming or crying kids in the back seat and not get distracted.
Rebecca is Thrilled by the Thought says
Oh so scary. I’m so glad you were safe through it all!
Jessica says
On Monday my doctor had us race from her office to a local hospital to see a urologist who specializes in children and it was a good 15 minute drive (which seems like FOREVER when your doctor says “get over there right away for the specialist to examine the problem because I can’t explain it.”) My husband has been out of town for three months and I had my 1 yr old and 2 yr old in tow… I was stressed and didn’t really know the directions to the hospital!
Anyways, the whole way there I was talking outloud to myself “Ok, that’s a red light. Make sure you stop.” “Now the speed is reduced to 35 MPH, make sure you slow down.”
I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t talked myself through all that I would have done some dangerous things AND worried myself sick over my sons problem!
Melissa says
I know that this may sound crazy because now when I look at it I think to myself “How stupid I was to be upset over a guy”.
Anyhow, it was about 15 years ago right after my boyfriend broke up with me. I was so upset that one night I went out driving, can’t even remember why, and I found myself driving the wrong way down a main street in my small city. Thank goodness it was late and no one was on the road at that time. I was so upset and had tears streaming down my eyes that I didn’t even realize I entered into the lane on the wrong side of the divider. The Lord had me covered that evening, because anything could have happened.
Helene says
I’ve had a moment like that myself. I think it must be a rite of passage of motherhood. However, my moment happened when I was rushing Bella to the pedi’s office (she was maybe 6 weeks old) after she fell off the sofa while sleeping on my husband’s chest. She bonked her head on the coffee table and I was totally freaked out so I felt I needed to take her in just to make sure she was okay. Plus, she wouldn’t stop crying so I was convinced her brain was swelling (isn’t it amazing how we can turn such little things into huge things in our minds??)
I locked her carseat in the car and sped off to the dr’s office. Thing is….I forgot to lock HER in the carseat and then I ran a stop sign maybe 4 blocks from our house, a major 4-way stop where it could’ve turned into a tragic situation. I remember pulling over and sobbing that I hadn’t locked her in her carseat and that I had driven so irresponsibly. UGH.
I hope your daughter is okay! I think next time maybe both of us should just call ambulances..LOL!!
Veggiemomof2 says
I just saw a sign in a car window the other day that explains it all!
“Driving under the influence…OF CHILDREN”
LOL
Kathy C. says
You are definitely not alone…when I was about 8 months pregnant (21 yrs ago), my mind didn’t seem to work correctly..I would leave the fridge open and walk away, etc…
One night, I was driving along a side road at teh edge of a neighborhood going about 40. The light was red, I could see that clearly. Somehow, my mind registered to me that red meant go and I just kept going straight through the light. The moment I passed through the light, my heart started to race as I realized what I had done. I am so thankful that it was later in the evening and for some reason, there wasn’t another car in sight. It was frightening to think that my mind thought the way it did adn the possibility of what could of happened.
Blessings!
Kathy
brandy says
my kids will often fight and scream in the back seat. it’s very distracting for me, and i can’t concentrate. so far i’ve gotten a speeding ticket and even got in a fender bender.
AmyG says
I’ve gone through a red light before, as well. Thankfully I was by myself. I was lost in thought & wasn’t even paying attention.
I’m glad you both were protected by God, though & that Sophia is doing OK.
Beth says
I haven’t not thinking about it driven through one , but I have thought many a time about purposely driving through one, especially when we have had to rush Ezra to the ER.
Paper Bridges says
I’ve done that and with no emergency involved, I was just chatting with my daughter. Totally into the conversation, not into the color of the traffic light. Felt foolish and very, very relieved no cars were coming at the time.
Glad your Sophie is okay.
Monica
Grace says
I’m terrible if distracted while driving! I always tell my daughter once she starts babbling stories (in a very high pitched voice) to save it when we park the car and I promise to listen to her later. She understands.
Yes, I’ve crossed a red light and almost got hit by a car turning left, in my direction. I was distracted by my friend talking at the back seat and I didn’t see the red light. What I saw was the green light, farther away in the next intersection. It was really scary!
But I am so glad nothing happened to you and your baby.