Friday, December 31 would be Danny Keysar’s 25th birthday. At only 16 months old, Danny died when a portable crib collapsed on his neck at his childcare home.
His parents, Linda and Boaz, were grief-stricken by what they thought was a tragic accident. They were then shocked to learn that Danny wasn’t the first victim, but the 12th victim of this faulty crib design. They realized that the product safety system was flawed, and they founded KID to not only educate other families and caregivers about recalled and dangerous children’s products, but to push for stronger standards so manufacturers couldn’t put unsafe products on the market. For over 20 years we’ve made great strides in changing how children’s products are regulated in the U.S., but have more to do.
This is Danny’s legacy.
One of KID’s proudest achievements is the passing of Danny’s Law as part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in 2008. This law requires strong mandatory standards and independent testing of most children’s products.
We think of Danny when we meet families who have lost a child and are making it their mission to prevent similar tragedies. And unfortunately we continue to meet these families all too often, so there is more work to be done. Children’s products are still being recalled for hazards such as choking, lead, and tip-over or entrapment on a weekly basis, and children continue to die from ingestion hazards such as high-powered magnets and button and coin cell batteries.
Today, KID is fighting to prevent tragic injuries and deaths before they happen – before hazardous products end up in your homes. While we’re still continuing our TEST program to educate engineering students about design safety, we’re taking that concept to the next level by creating a Design Safety Toolkit aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses who may have a great idea for a children’s product, but do not know about design safety. And with the support of a great team of IT volunteers, we’re developing Recall.it, a browser extension that provides recall and safety information while consumers are shopping online. This is all work that we’re proud to do as part of Danny’s legacy – to keep other children safe.
In honor of Danny’s birthday, his parents will generously match your donation to KID. Will you make a $25 gift to KID in honor of Danny’s 25th birthday? A donation of $25 would allow us to distribute dozens of our life-saving children’s product safety guides to families, or provide eight safe sleep kits to new parents in low-income communities.
With your support, KID will take the fight for product safety into the future. We are so thankful for all our supporters and we hope you and your families have a safe and happy new year.
