Three years ago, my son Sholom was accidentally left in our van on a hot Florida day. He
was three years old – my golden-haired little peacemaker who insisted on wearing his
tzitzis even on rushed summer mornings. The child who would toddle over to crying
classmates and offer them his bottle, who would wrap his tiny arms around friends who
were fighting. His name fit him perfectly – Sholom, peace – because that’s exactly wha
brought to our busy household of nine children.
That July morning started like any other. A change in routine, a busy schedule. That’s all it
took to forever change our lives. One ordinary day, one devastating outcome. Our home,
once filled with Sholom’s gentle presence, fell silent in a way that still echoes.
For months after losing Sholom, I couldn’t imagine doing anything but grieving. The
thought of getting involved in prevention felt impossible – the pain was too raw, too
personal. But as time passed, I learned something that shook me to my core: these
accidents happen during ordinary moments, to ordinary families, on ordinary days. They
happen when routines change, when we’re distracted, when we’re stressed – in other
words, they happen because we’re human. And they can happen to anyone. The most
devastating part? Most parents believe it could never happen to them. I know, because I
was one of them.
That’s why we created Team Protect. Every time I look at Sholom’s picture – his bright
smile, his kind eyes – I’m reminded why this work matters. We’re bringing life-saving
technologies to families nationwide. We’re partnering with emergency response
organizations, schools, and communities to create comprehensive safety networks. We’re
turning grief into action, pain into purpose, and most importantly – we’re saving lives.
Every device we distribute, every family we reach, every community we partner with brings
us closer to our goal: ensuring no other family experiences what ours has.
You don’t have to be a parent to understand why this matters. You just have to understand
that behind every statistic is a child like Sholom – someone’s son or daughter, someone’s
brother or sister, someone’s student, someone’s friend. No child should die from a sudden
accident, and no family should have to learn these lessons through loss.
Join us. Whether you can help distribute safety devices, raise awareness in your
community, or support our mission in other ways, your involvement matters. Together, we
can protect our children and prevent other families from experiencing this unbearable loss.
The time for action is now.