‘Helmet Lady’ spurred by son’s accident

Press, 26 June 1989, Page 9

‘Helmet Lady’ spurred by son’s accident

By

JENNY LONG

Mrs Rebecca Oaten’s son, Aaron, would not have become a tetraplegic if his mother had been told about cycle helmets. "Three years ago I didn’t know that cyclists should be wearing helmets,” she said.

“Now, I want to tell other parents so that no-one has to go through what happened to us.”

Mrs Oaten, from Palmerston North, is spending a week in Christchurch talking to school groups, parents and service clubs about the importance of wearing an approved cycle helmet.

Mrs Oaten divides her time between talking to groups about cycle safety and caring for Aaron.

He is now 15, and fully aware of what is happening, but can communicate only through nodding or shaking his head. His parents must do everything for him, including feeding and toileting. Mrs Oaten said she does not spare anyone the details when talking about Aaron. “Some of the pupils might leave the hall, or some faint, but it’s a story that has to be told.”

Aaron had been cycling to school just over three years ago. He stopped, waiting for a break in the traffic to cross the road, when a car hit his front wheel.

Aaron was flung off, landing head first in the gutter. He had not been hit by the car, but suffered severe head injuries in the fall.

He was unconscious for six months, and spent a year in hospital. “Everyone should be aware that when they read a small story in the paper that says, ‘cyclist with head injuries,’

that’s a nice way of saying brain damage.” Mrs Oaten is campaigning to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear helmets, but feels it will take until next year at least.

In Palmerston North Mrs Oaten is widely known as the Helmet Lady, and the campaign has been quite successful. Five of six high schools have made cycle helmets compulsory in the last six months. “We need to turn peer pressure around, so that people are told they are ‘nerds’ when they are not wearing a helmet.”

Her message to parents is quite clear. “If your children have bikes, get them a helmet.”

“If you wait until pay day, it might be too late.”

Mrs Oaten is also careful to point out that the helmet must be an approved type. “If it is not approved, it will be no help.” In Christchurch, vouchers giving discounts on approved helmets will be handed out at schools where Mrs Oaten speaks. Retailers and the manufacturers have taken a cut to make the discounts possible.