Danny Foundation closes site, declares mission accomplished
A reader emails today and points out that as of Jan
1, the Danny Foundation posted this announcement on their
site:
CRIB DEATH NUMBERS DOWN - BOARD
VOTES TO DISSOLVE THE DANNY FOUNDATION
AAfter
nearly twenty years of successful efforts to keep babies safe from dangerous
cribs and other child products, the Board of Directors of The Danny Foundation,
unanimously voted to "Dissolve" the Foundation, effective 12/31/05. The Danny
Foundation was named after 23 month-old Danny Lineweaver of Alamo, CA, who was
severely injured in 1984 when his shirt became entangled on the corner post
extension of his crib. Danny died in 1993, after 9 years of home
care.
When the Foundation started its
programs of education and advocacy, baby cribs caused approximately one hundred
deaths per year. According to recently released data from the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, annual crib deaths now number fewer than
sixteen.
John Lineweaver, Danny's father,
believes that, "The Danny Foundation's biggest accomplishment was the
establishment of virtually all of the government crib manufacturing standards
that exist today. A crib purchased in 2005 is largely unrecognizable when
compared to the crib that took our son's life. We can proudly proclaim that when
you buy a new crib today, you are getting a truly safe place to leave your baby
alone, unobserved and unattended. This is a fitting tribute to the memory of
Danny. His legacy will remain the difference the Foundation made in saving the
lives of
infants."
--
Fortunately,
the site's crib safety checklist is still online, but it is unclear how much
longer the site will be up.
Posted: Tue - January 17, 2006 at 11:34 AM