Lindsay Dewey, a mother of three from Idaho, never intended to share her deeply painful story.
But after tragically losing her 22-month-old son in a household accident, she now feels compelled to warn other parents — and it’s easy to understand why.
How the unthinkable could happened
As parents, we do everything in our power to protect our children. Yet, the heartbreaking truth is that we can’t shield them from every danger. Accidents happen every day, but no parent should ever have to bury their child simply because of a moment of curiosity.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to Lindsay Dewey and her son Reed, on what seemed like a typical day in their home.
Lindsay, a stay-at-home mom from Idaho with three children, was going about her day in the kitchen when an unimaginable tragedy struck. Her 22-month-old son, Reed, was playing with one of his suction cup bowls, sticking it on a large mirror and pulling it back and forth, trying to pry it off.
But in a split second, the unthinkable happened.
The mirror came crashing down on Reed.
“I never even heard him playing by/with the mirror – until I heard it fall and then within 5 seconds I lifted it off of him,” Lindsay wrote on Instagram.
Didn’t die immediately
At first, Lindsay thought Reed was simply shocked from the mirror falling, but she quickly realized something was terribly wrong.
Reed didn’t die immediately, but he sustained a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injury. Medics arrived on the scene within six minutes, but tragically, they were unable to save him.
“Never did we expect that it would be so serious that he wouldn’t survive it,” Lindsay said, her voice heavy with the grief of unimaginable loss.
The mirror that fell on Reed was large and heavy, not designed to be mounted or anchored to the wall. Because of its size and weight, Lindsay and her husband, a firefighter, never thought it would pose a threat to their children — after all, it was so sturdy that it was nearly impossible for a child to move it. But on that day, a series of unfortunate circumstances led to Reed’s death.
Adding to the tragedy, Lindsay explained that the family usually had an accent chair in front of the mirror, but it had recently been moved because their dog had peed on the rug.
“We both are still in complete shock that this is what took our baby from us,” she wrote, tears behind every word. “We’re only sharing this because we don’t want this happening to anybody.”
Criticism
Despite the outpouring of support, Lindsay admits she’s been concerned about backlash from strangers on the internet over the incident. Some have seemed to blame Lindsay for not having a better watch over him.
“I was so confused as to how this could have happened. There was no way our son was strong enough to move it, let alone make it fall. And since we knew that, we didn’t feel it was urgent to anchor it,” she said.
Now, Lindsay believes the potential for helping another family avoid the same heartbreak is worth sharing her story – even though it means sharing deeply personal details and exposing herself to criticism.
“If sharing this can save one child’s life, it’s worth it,” she said. “Mommy misses you so badly and I’m so sorry this happened to you, my perfect baby boy.” She shared a photo of Reed on Instagram, a haunting reminder of a love lost too soon.
Since the accident, Lindsay has gained over 95,000 followers on social media, though she rejects the title of “parenting influencer.”
“I’m just your average mama of three, homemaker, fire wife, who is obsessed with her family, living in Idaho,” she said. “To paint the picture that I’m just another self-centered influencer is appalling.”
Accidents like Reed’s are unfortunately not isolated events.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), between 2017 and 2019, an estimated 11,300 children were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to furniture, appliances, and televisions tipping over.
In response, the CPSC launched the “Anchor It!” campaign in 2015, aiming to raise awareness among parents and caregivers about the dangers posed by seemingly harmless household items.
Here are some key statistics that every parent should know:
- 91% of tip-over fatalities occur inside the home.
- 50% of child deaths take place in bedrooms.
- 75% of these incidents involve a television, either alone or combined with furniture.
- 59% of child fatalities are caused by crushing injuries, with the head being the most commonly affected area.
”Our lives changed in a matter of 10 seconds”
In a heartfelt post on Instagram, the grieving mother said her final goodbye to her beloved son, sharing an emotional message that touched the hearts of many.
According to Lindsay, all her little boy knew was love, and all he gave in return was love.
“We were so lucky and blessed to have been given 22 sweet months of being his parents and protectors. A piece of my heart will always be missing until I’m in Heaven loving on you again. I love you so much son..You got me through the darkest of times in my life this past year, and your legacy is going to live on as these other babies get to live their lives, whole and healthy. Thank you to everyone who’s stood in faith and believed with us til the very end.”
”We’ve been robbed of watching our wild and fun little boy grow up. It is not fair and he didn’t deserve this. But we have a peace knowing he’s with our Lord & Savior as well as his Uncle Ty. Our lives changed in a matter of 10 seconds. And we’re truly still in shock. Please be praying for us and for Reeds siblings.”
Lindsay and Reed’s story is a powerful reminder for parents everywhere: Always be vigilant, no matter how secure a space may seem. Accidents like this can happen in the blink of an eye. RIP Reed!
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