Child Hurt At School

Hey All,

It's been a time here.  A week ago Wednesday I get a phone call around 11:00 saying your son tripped and fell and chipped a couple teeth he may need to see a dentist.  I get to the school and his 2 front teeth are broken.  One is half broken off and the other almost half.  A third tooth is badly chipped.  I get him to the dentist they do x-rays and said there is nerve damage and sends him to an endodontist.  Both asked what happened and I told them they said they were going out to recess and he tripped and fell on the sidewalk.  BOTH said there is no way that happened.  Then endodontist starts asking Colin questions and he says I think I was pushed but I really don't know.  He looked at me and said we only see this kind of trauma in a child when they flip over handlebars of a bike and hit the pavement.  They did 2 root canals on the two front teeth.  They need to let his mouth heal before they start to restore them somehow.

I went into the school the next day and wanted to know what exactly happened.  I was sent to the nurse and she said I don't know I can't fill out the injury report because I can't find out what exactly happened.  She said ... I was told he was running on the sidewalk going out to the playground and he tripped and fell on the sidewalk.  I said it couldn't have happened that way and told her what both dentist said and that Colin said he thought he was pushed.  She called the vice principal and we talked and I asked to see which playground they were going to because there are 3 of them.  We walked out a side door and he said it had to have happened in this area.  Neither teacher knew what happened because they didn't see it and were unaware that Colin was hurt until some kids ran and got one of them.  He said let's see if this was caught on video because we have cameras out here but I'm not sure if it will show this area or not.  He pulled up the day before and the time frame and it showed all the kids walking on the sidewalk no one was running and no one fell.  He said maybe it happened in this area we can't see.  He pulled up a different section and was looking at the top of the footage when something at the bottom caught my attention and I gasped and said there.  He backed it up and we watched.  Let me explain they walk down a sidewalk then across the pavement to a fenced in area once the kids get inside the fenced in area they are permitted to run it's all playground area.  The first thing in the fenced in area is a basketball court that goes all the way across and then after they cross this section there is a play area with swings and stuff.  Colin was WALKING across the basketball court area a couple kids had ran past him to get to the playing area.  Then it shows this child on a fast run and plows right into the back of Colin and sends him flying and he hits the pavement face first.  The child helps him up and he wonders over to some other kids holding his mouth and crying.  Still no teachers at this point.  He turned off the tape so I don't know when an adult did appear.  Then I found out that he was sent to the nurse's office by himself!!!  I know accidents happen but to me he should have never been sent alone.  I also aked the vice principal if the kids were not allowed to run on the sidewalk or the pavement crossing to the playground what the difference was once they got into the fenced in area with concrete to cross to get to the playing area?  He of course had no answer. 

Again I know accidents happen but I have to wonder is this a safe place for my child?  No teacher saw what happened and it took several minutes for one to reach him.  He was sent to the nurse by himself without anyone with him.  His mouth bled for 6 hours so you know there was a lot of trauma and he was in a lot of pain at the time of the accident.  Oh yeah someone did go and find the pieces of broken teeth and they handed them to be in a baggie when I picked him up. 

Of course they are all being nice and helping Colin make up all the work he missed for the 3 and 1/2 days he was out.  He is under restrictions of no recess or PE until further notice so he won't bump his mouth and cause further damage before they can be fixed.  I told them I didn't want him sitting and watching others play because it's not his fault so they have made arrangements for him to have extra library or computer time.  He can only drink out of a straw because they are afraid that a bump with a cup or bottle could cause more damage.  This weekend he will be able to try some cold foods he hasn't been able to eat anything too hot or cold.  He isn't allowed of course to bite down using the front teeth.  Oh it's been a time around here!

I'm not one to carry my phone with me everyplace I go.  I never carried it when I walk the dogs or when I go into the library.  Most of the time if I'm running errands I leave it in the car.  Now I carry it with me at all times.  When I'm cleaning I take it into whatever room I'm in.  I take a shower and it's on the counter.  I'm scared to death he is going to bump his mouth at school and need to get there fast.  I have to send him to school.  Maybe next week we will know more of when they will be able to start reconstruction of his teeth to get them fixed. 

Off to finish the laundry.

Take Care :)