LAKELAND, Fla. — A local mom is working for change after her son was killed by a falling dresser on Mother's Day of 2017.
It took just a few seconds. A curious 2-year-old toddler named Conner was climbing on his dresser.
“My son’s dresser met the voluntary safety standard that we currently have in place," said his mother, Meghan Delong.
But Delong says that wasn’t enough to keep it from tipping over.
Conner became one of more than 200 children killed by falling furniture since 2000.
“I had to do something to honor him and make everyone know how great he is,” she said.
So Megan joined Parents against Tip Overs. She’s also involved in other safety advocacy groups.
And now she’s supporting a proposal in congress to strengthen standards for furniture manufactures. That includes understanding how children interact with dressers.
“They are going to take out the clothing. And they are going to use it as a ladder. You have to think like a toddler if you are going to save toddlers,” Delong said.
Many furniture pieces come with anchor kits designed to keep them from tipping over. But Megan says they aren’t usually strong enough.
She recommends parents use something more sturdy like the one installed in her other son’s room.
Her non-profit Conner’s Legacy Foundation even mails them out to parents for free.
“When I walk in this room, there’s only one child. I can never get him back. But I can spare other families from having that same fate,” she said.
