RICHMOND, Va. — A day of play turned serious when 5-year-old Nina suffered a traumatic brain injury despite wearing a helmet. Her mother is now advocating for proper helmet safety to protect other children.
Nina is a bright light who loves being on the move, whether she's inside sharing musical moments with her mom or outside cleaning her kid-sized mobile vehicle.
"She is a ball of fun, she's so creative," said Kristin Roberts, Nina's mother.
But when a day of play on her scooter left Nina with a head injury, Roberts was worried her sweet young girl's life might change forever.
"She was riding with our neighbors. They were racing down the hill kind of pushing each other and she fell," said Roberts.
Roberts said Nina was wearing a helmet at the time, but it wasn't one bought specifically for her as they were in the process of getting her a new one.
"The place where she hit her head was covered by the helmet. She was completely out of it, screaming in pain and I thought first it was just a concussion," said Roberts.
Nina was diagnosed by doctors with epidural hematoma, or bleeding between the skull and the brain, a traumatic brain injury that thankfully did not require surgery.
"At the beginning she was in and out of consciousness. She was vomiting from the moment it happened," said Roberts.
For the next three months, Roberts spent her time helping her daughter recover while also trying to help other parents, learning all she could about helmet safety.
"I was beating myself up about giving her a used helmet. It was a temporary fix until I got her a new one," said Roberts.
Corri Miller-Hobbs with the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU says parents face many challenges when making safety decisions for their children.
"Parents are juggling many choices in life, you know, as they're raising children, and we know that it's a challenge, and having a helmet and the right helmet for each sport is just another decision that they need to make," said Miller-Hobbs.
Having the right helmet and ensuring it fits properly are measures that can make a huge difference, according to Miller-Hobbs.
"There are some helmets that are out there that are considered multi-sport helmets. You may still end up with a head injury, but hopefully it's something minimized or maybe not at all," said Miller-Hobbs.
She says as kids grow, get active and try new outdoor activities, it's vital parents work to ensure they're equipped with what they need to keep them as safe as possible.
"They're changing. Their bodies are changing. So watch them, and go out with them. Take a look at how their helmet is fitting," said Miller-Hobbs.
"Whereas a broken arm can heal, we know that a brain, once damaged, is not going to heal. It's not able to repair itself," said Miller-Hobbs.
For more information on helmet safety and outdoor wheeled sports safety, click here.
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