SAN ANTONIO – The accident this holiday weekend that left 6 children in critical condition after being ejected out of the car they were traveling in has been a wake-up call for some parents.
A local mom recently lost her job and worried about her children’s safety after hearing of the accident. With four little ones and a friend helping with rides, this mom saw the gravity of the accident and started looking for help getting car seats for her 4 children.
” I have an 11-month-old, a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and a six-year-old,” said Heather Glaspie.
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Not only did Glaspie lose her job but also her apartment. The young mother has been getting rides with a friend but can’t afford car seats for her four children.
“That could have been me, that could have been me and my kids, you know, and then I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I did survive,” she said.
So Glaspie today went to Christian Assistance Ministry looking for help to keep her kids safe as her friend drives them to school and appointments.
” We were just praying, just one car seat,” said Glaspie
Christian Assistance Ministry made a call to Eagle’s Flight Advocacy, which gives out car seats to families in need through Giovanni’s Closet.
“We had just picked up a donation last week that we were able to help them. And it was just pretty amazing to know that this mom was so rattled by what she saw that she wanted to make sure that she had car seats for her children,” says Pamela Allen the CEO of the non-profit.
“It means a lot because y’all pretty much saved four kids’ lives,” praised Glaspie.
And it’s not only the homeless or those who have lost their jobs that are in need, as Allen tells us.
“We have families calling us that children have been dropped off at their home by CPS, and they don’t have a car seat. When a grandma has to start taking care of a baby because the parent has been incarcerated, these are the cases that we get. And it’s not just about the tragedy of a child being ejected out of their vehicle. It’s everyday life when someone can’t afford a car seat,” said Allen.
Eagle’s Flight has been hit hard this year by the amount of need in our community. From feeding close to 10,000 people last month to providing car seats monthly to parents like Glaspie.
“I feel like, as a parent, we should take that more seriously. I mean, that was an example,” said the mother.
To donate to Eagle’s Flight Advocacy car seats and/or financial donation clickhere.