Published On: May 8th, 2015By Leticia Fehling

MacArthur High School Continues Campaign to Help Students Stay Safe During Prom, Graduation Season

MacArthur-High-School-Live-Your-Dreams-Initiative-Round-3-1

Dr. Kristin Craft with a couple of students at Life Flight’s helipad.

[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]MacArthur High School has been working with [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Memorial Hermann’s Texas Trauma Institute. They have been collaborating to present a safety series to students. Organizers want students thinking and talking about the dangers of driving distracted. The goal is to help students make smart choices now and in the future.

The first event took place April 17 with a health fair for students. The event served as a venue to launch the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Trauma Institute’s Live Your DREAMS program. The acronym stands for Distraction Reduction Among Motivated Students.

Other sessions have covered the effects of alcohol and various things that can distract drivers. Some of these distractions include music, food and friends. Dr. Kristin Craft asks parents to take part by setting examples and rules for teen drivers. Craft serves as the principal at the campus.

At a Saturday event, parents and students got to see up close and personal several crashed vehicles. Campus leaders brought [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Krysta’s Karing Angels to talk with families. Terri and Mark Rodríguez created the organization in memory of their daughter Krysta. She died after a drunk driver hit her in 2010. She was only 22 years old. Krysta’s Karing Angels’ mission is to educate the public. The couple wants to bring awareness to this 100 percent preventable crime.

After talking to students and parents, they drove home the impact and effect of distracted driving. The Rodríguez’s showed them the remains of four crashed vehicles. Families that have lost loved ones to drunk drivers donated the vehicles.

More recently, the teens received another large dose of reality. Campus organizers invited families to talk with emergency medical service (EMS) first responders. They spent a night at Memorial Hermann’s Texas Trauma Institute in the Medical Center. This formed part of the Trauma Institute’s Live Your DREAMS program.

The parents and students toured main areas of the hospital involved in caring for victims.

Trauma Care Tour

[ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Emergency Trauma Center Bay[/li] [li]Shock Trauma Intensive Care Unit[/li][/ul] [ul class=”list list-search”] [li]Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit[/li] [li]Life Flight Helipad[/li][/ul]

They learned about trauma injuries and how the hospital treats them. The trauma team informed students about what they can expect if they are ever hospitalized. The team discussed how some injuries will forever change people’s lives. They encouraged the students to avoid risky behavior.

“The main focus of the initiative is injury prevention in teenagers,” Craft said. “Injury is the number one cause of death. So the focus is on all forms of distracted driving and the importance of buckling up.“

Students listened intently as they learned what it’s like to be a trauma patient as a result of a motor vehicle crash. They learned about its consequences and lasting effects. They also took part in a question and answer session with a trauma surgeon. The students also had questions for the EMS first responders.

The MacArthur group also heard a mother’s story. She recounted losing her son in a drunk driving collision. Everyone thanked her for sharing her family’s story.

Other invited guests that talked to parents and students were local MADD representatives and Memorial Hermann Hospital’s chaplain.

“I hope this engaged and empowered our students to make smart choices,” Craft said. “Our parents and students walked side-by-side with trauma surgeons and nurses. They saw firsthand the devastation that can result from making poor decisions. All trauma accidents are preventable and predictable. We want our students to live their dreams today, tomorrow and for many years to come.”