Let's STOP Hot Car Child Deaths

A slip of the mind. Then shock. Disbelief. Uncontrollable tears of remorse. The anguish of moms and dads - good parents, not neglectful ones.  Studies show this nightmare can happen to anyone. I have come up with a solution that can save lives and ease parents’ anxiety.

Just the thought of losing a child in any way is unthinkable, but the ongoing stories of accidental child deaths in hot cars is a CRISIS! Preventing these devastating deaths has become my passion.

I’m Laurie, a mother of four. I am also physically disabled - though I don't look it. My life hasn’t been easy, but I also consider myself very lucky. I can still walk. I can still talk. My mind is sharp. Most importantly, my kids are still here with me. 

With your help, I will build the right answer to this tragic problem. An answer that is NOT overly-complicated. One that is reliable, intuitive, and that deserves your trust. An answer that exceeds the notoriously high standards of my Worry-Mom-Brain!  

Stomach Churning News

One day, a local radio station reported the death of an infant, forgotten in a hot car. As I heard more and more details, I became convinced that not only was this tragedy about someone I knew, but someone I knew very well, my daughter’s kindergarten teacher and my next door neighbor growing up. My stomach turned to lead.

For a few gut-wrenching, horrible hours, I thought it was her life and family being torn apart.  Thankfully, it WASN’T her child. But it was SOMEONE’S child. The sickening feeling from that day stayed with me.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

If it had been me, how could I ever live with myself? Could my spouse ever forgive me? Could I ever forgive my spouse if he had done it? How would my parents, in-laws, my other children look at me?  What pain would my momentary mistake cause for everyone I loved?

Uncompromising Standards and Creating Something Better

I began searching for a solution and found a variety of products and proposed legislation. Unfortunately, what I found left me unconvinced and still worried. So I spent a lot of time thinking about something that would work and set my Worry-Mom-Brain at ease.

• I thought about how anything changing the way the car seat kept my child safe in an accident wasn’t at all acceptable as part of the solution.

• I thought about the different types of child safety seats. I thought about when my younger daughter moved from a rear-facing to front-facing car seat -- I went from constantly lugging around a car seat around everywhere to a stationary seat that stayed safely installed in the car at all times. The right answer needs to be universal and independent of the type of seat.

• I thought about how, for preschool, the drop-off and pick-up person were often not the same person -- sometimes Dad might drop off, but I might pick up. The right answer would need to handle this common scenario.

• I thought about how the right answer would need to be extremely easy to use – so easy, in fact, that using it CORRECTLY would be THE easiest thing for tired, busy parents or other caregivers to do. 

• All that thinking led to the ForgetMeNot system and to gather a team  to help me see it through.  A solution that is both elegant and deceptively simple. A product that not only addresses the short-comings of everything else I could find, but more importantly, provides my Worry-Mom-Brain peace of mind. An answer that is just better.

The ForgetMeNot System

I can't be overly specific, as I am in the process of obtaining a patent. However, ForgetMeNot is, at its heart, an alert system with deliberate, specialized cues so children are never accidentally left in a car.  These cues are only activated if a child is being strapped into, taken out of, or accidentally left in a car seat.

Why Me? Who am I?

I’ve always been ambitious and successful at what I put my mind to, but an unexpected physical disability from a skull/brain abnormality called a Chiari I Malformation  has forced me to think hard about the direction of my life. Given my physical limitations, how can I support myself and my children while doing something GOOD for society? I have so much I want to give back, and I believe this cause, my passion, is the way forward.

How Your Support Will Help

Your donation will directly help make this vision of safer children a reality.  Your donation will help obtain a patent, construct prototypes, and help support me as I commit to this full time.  The goal of the current phase is to obtain a patent and produce a prototype in order to secure future rounds of funding.

Total Support Needed Now to help Save Children’s Lives: $50,000

Together, we can make children safer and help prevent tragic deaths that devastate entire families.  I cannot express how much your support means as I embark on this journey. I am extremely passionate about this mission. I have access to the technical expertise needed. I have strong mentors to help guide me through the process.  What I need now is your support. Any amount is greatly appreciated. Every dollar gets us closer to the goal. And remember - you can help make kids safer by spreading the word! Please, share this campaign with others online!

See our website at: https://ForgetMeNot.family