Mom's Horrifying PSA Shows How Dangerous Corded Blinds Are for Kids

“I have gone back and forth about posting this or not posting this, but I believe if this post saves one child’s life, it’s worth being vulnerable.”

To say Arika Hernandez is thankful would be an understatement. Her son was nearly strangled after her got his hands on the cord to the window blinds. Luckily, his story has a happy ending, but the mom is using it as a chance to share an important reminder on why the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says corded blinds should never be in your home.

Like any curious 3-year-old, Hernandez’s son climbed to the top of a bunk bed to reach the cord to the blinds when no one was looking. Turning it into a necklace, he decided to wrap it around his neck. Making matters even worse, as the little boy descended down the bunk bed’s ladder, the cord tightened around his neck. That’s when the panic started to set in. Unable to remove the cords and wanting his parents’ help, he jumped down from the bed and screamed.

“This was not just any scream, it is one I have never heard in my life and it will forever be ringing in my ears,” the mom shares.

Lucky for the preschooler, the cord snapped as he jumped, releasing its deathly grip. Hernandez shudders to think how close she came to losing her son, and hopes by sharing her story, she’ll save a life (Warning: graphic photos below).

“This is something I didn’t think my kids would do because I am constantly nagging them about not putting things around their neck,” she says. “Kids will be kids and they explore. My son told me he was making a necklace and that’s why it was around his neck.”

The story follows the recent ban of corded blinds in US stores nationwide. The move was a result of a new safety standard from the CPSC to prevent infant and child deaths from cord strangulation. Between 2012 and 2017, there were 50 reported fatalities from cord strangulation among young children.

The mom hopes her story will drive home one very important message: “No corded blinds are safe! Please, please, please take my message and take action now!”

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