She grabbed the fabric, stepped over the heater, lost her balance and fell out the open window. Her mother, who was in the same room, quickly noticed that the toddler was gone and looked out to see him slumped to the ground over twenty feet below. Taryn’s father received the call while he was at work. “There’s nothing I can do. Just pray for a miracle,” Sean Lim recalled on Friday. Taryn was airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital. She lost two teeth, broke her leg and fractured her jaw but escaped any brain or spinal injuries. Her bright pink cast will remain on her leg for six weeks, but the hospital’s pediatric surgeon said she is otherwise expected to recover. Sean, who has another four-year-old daughter, shared the family’s story on Friday in a bid to warn other parents about the dangers of leaving windows open without child guards in place. The guards, which can be found at hardware stores for a few dollars, are designed to prevent windows from opening more than 10 centimeters so that children cannot get inside.
The hospital has treated nearly a dozen children this year
As he spoke on Friday, Sean cradled Taryn in his arms. The toddler, hair pulled back in two pigtails, quietly hugged a stuffed Dalmatian in his fireman’s helmet and only became agitated when a fly got too close. Before the fall, Sean taught both of his daughters to stay away from open windows. To drive the message home, she threw a teddy bear out the window so the girls could see how it fell. The family’s old apartment had window guards installed, but they had recently moved into a townhouse and were unaware that the windows did not already have locks in place. “I used to criticize people for not seeing their children, but it can happen to anyone,” Sean said. Taryn Lim is pictured with her father, Sean Lim, at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver on Friday. Taryn lost two teeth, cracked her jaw and broke her leg after falling from a third-floor window on Monday, but is expected to make a full recovery. (Ben Nelms/CBC) BC Children’s Hospital has treated 11 children who fell from open windows this year. Some, like Taryn, are in and out of the hospital quickly. Others will need lifelong care. “These are often devastating, life-changing injuries, both for the children and their families,” said Dr. Robert Baird, a pediatric surgeon and director of surgical trauma at the hospital. Baird said window guards are easy to find and make for all types of windows. He warned that screens are not enough to protect a child – especially “smart” toddlers who are exploring their environment. “Screens are great at keeping bugs out. They’re not great at keeping kids in,” he said. “It’s very easy for a kid to either pop the screen or pop right through the screen and fall out.” Dr. Robert Baird, pediatric surgeon and director of surgical trauma at BC Children’s Hospital, is pictured with a window lock in Vancouver on Friday. He said the guards cost a few dollars and can save a child from life-changing injuries. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Even if a child falls from a height that doesn’t seem dangerously high, Baird said parents should call 911 if there is loss of consciousness or seizure-like symptoms. Byrd said anything over five feet “is considered a fall of concern.” Taryn was released from the hospital earlier this week. He will start preschool next month. After her family brought her home, they bought window guards. “This is a terrifying incident and you don’t want to go through the same thing,” Sean said. “We are extremely lucky.”
