Parents warned about ‘silent killers’ in their homes after toddler choked to death on window blinds
Two-year-old Bryan Saba became entangled in blind cord as families urged to be vigilant
PARENTS of a toddler who choked to death on a blind cord have urged mums and dads to check their own homes.
The warning comes after two-year-old Bryan Saba became entangled in the looped blind cord at his home in Portadown, County Armagh.
His mum Maria Saba broke down and told an inquest: “I hope something will come out that will give better security from blind cords.
"It's difficult for me to be here or to speak of what happened to us but I prefer to put my hands to this task so other families won't suffer what we are suffering today."
The coroner labelled dangerous blind cords "silent killers" and also called for parents to be aware of the danger.
Bryan was playing in the room on his own and an older sister found him hanging from the cord, last September.
He sustained a significant brain injury and died in hospital in Belfast 15 days after the accident.
Coroner Joseph McCrisken said there had been 27 deaths linked to looped blind cords across the UK since 1999, according to Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
He said: "Bryan's death is an absolute tragedy for his family, his mother, father, sisters and brothers and other family.
"I'm satisfied on the evidence before me that Bryan's death was a tragic accident.
"Nobody is to blame for what happened to Bryan, and what happened to him could also occur in hundreds if not thousands of homes."
He added: "There remains thousands, tens of thousands of lethal looped blind cords still in homes of parents and carers.
"The cords are lethal and silent killers of babies and young children which lurk in homes of parents and carers of young children."
Mr McCrisken told Belfast Coroners' Court one of his responsibilities was to raise awareness and help save lives in the future.
He said: "I, as coroner for Northern Ireland, urge and plead with each and every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, child minder, landlord or carer of children to double check each and every blind in your home.
“As coroner I don't want to hear another inquest into the death of child as a result of strangulation from a blind cord.
"I certainly don't want to see another family endure the heartache or grief that this family has endured.”
The coroner praised the actions of the medics who cared for Bryan and singled out passer-by Adam King who helped give first aid in the immediate aftermath of the incident on September 11.
He also praised the toddler's parents for deciding to donate his organs.
Mr McCrisken added: "The lives of a number of children have been saved.”
Bryan’s father Feliciano Saba also urged greater vigilance.
He said: "Since Bryan's death we have been existing from one day to the next.
"Surviving on the strength that God has given us to sustain us and our children.
"Not a day passes without me suffering continuous anguish."
Bryan's parents are originally from Guinea-Bissau in west Africa.
They married in Italy and Bryan was born in Verona before family members moved to Northern Ireland at the start of 2015 for work.
Mr McCrisken urged people to visit the RoSPA or Make It Safe websites for advice on reducing the dangers posed by blinds.
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