Tammie has been promoting winter safety ever since her daughter died in a tragic accident
KALKASKA CO., MI -- Tragedy can strike anywhere.
A sledding accident ended the life of a young Northern Michigan girl three years ago, but since then, her mother has set a mission: Spread the importance of winter safety to other parents so something like this never happens again.
For years, a sledding hill in Kalkaska County’s Springfield Township has been a popular place. Tammie Budrow says every winter since she was a kid, she's made the grueling hike to the top for the few seconds of fast sledding action. But on January 27th, 2008, the years of joy turned into absolute horror. Tammie's daughter, eight year-old Carly, was in an accident.
"She went up over a bank, hit a small cluster of trees, and was killed that day," explained Tammie.
Closed head trauma killed Carly. She wasn't wearing a helmet when her head hit a tree. Tammie still grieves to this day, trying to make sense of it, and hasn't let the terror rest.
"Doing nothing, I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night, thinking other moms could lose their kids out here," said Tammie.
That summer, the hill that claimed Carly’s life underwent a $15,000 transformation. Three runs were dug out and banked and there's a small hill for the little ones. The trees aren't a danger anymore.
“Everyone just bonded together, and made it Carly's hill," explained Tammie.
But Tammie wasn't done just yet. The next step was to educate kids on winter safety. She looked for safety programs, there were none, so she started her own. At first, it took off slow. She spoke to 170 kids at Carly's school the first year. And then, she met the perfect person.
"I met Tammie by accident, eating lunch in the Munson cafeteria," said Jennifer Ritter.
Jennifer, the injury prevention coordinator at Munson, heard Carly's story. Jennifer understood Tammie’s goal, so she helped her launch the Chill Out for Winter Safety program to educate kids in local schools about the importance of simple safety, like wearing a helmet while sledding, and it has taken off.
"Oh my gosh, she's taken this tragedy, and totally turned it into something so positive, not just for her family and their healing, but for the whole community and then extended community," said Ritter.
Last year, the Chill Out program educated more than 36-hundred kids and with a $30,000 Kohl's grant, was able to give out more than 700 helmets to kids in schools.
“If I’ve just saved one kid's life, it's all worth it," explained Tammie.
She has turned tragedy into a dream, to make sure kids in Northern Michigan are safe. And it's coming true. That’s what makes Tammie Budrow this month's, Your Town Hero.
Tammie has recently been awarded by the state, given a "Home Town Hero" trophy for her winter safety education efforts.
To learn more about winter safety, CLICK HERE.
To learn more about closed head trauma, CLICK HERE.
