Helena Cochrane, 2, was tragically killed when an antique chest of drawers tipped over and fell on her in Texas – and now her mum Taryn Cochrane, 21, is warning other parents
A mum has issued a stark warning to other parents after her daughter was tragically killed when a chest of drawers toppled over and crushed her.
Little Helena Cochrane was just two-and-a-half years old when she perished in the preventable tragedy in January. While reaching for a toy positioned on top of a chest of drawers – a vintage piece her family had owned for years, weighing approximately 80lbs (5st 7lbs) – the furniture overturned and crashed down on her.
Her heartbroken mum, Taryn Cochrane, 21, has shared her devastating experience in hopes of preventing other youngsters from dying – urging parents to secure heavy furniture to walls. In a social media post that attracted 1.5 million views, Taryn wrote: “The way it happened has left me with so much guilt and shame.
“An antique dresser I’ve had in my home for years with no prior issue or cause of concern fell on her after she used the drawers as steps to get a toy I had put away on the top – resulting in immediate death. It happened so quickly and so silently, and our lives changed forever.”
Taryn, from Dentons, Texas, revealed that the morning of January 8 began like any other – but transformed into “any parent’s worst nightmare”.
She said: “The unimaginable happened. The guilt and shame has all but consumed me, knowing that if I had taken the precautions of anchoring this dresser, my baby would still be here and her sister would still have her best friend.”
Helena would have celebrated her third birthday this month, if not for the devastating accident. Her grief-stricken mum is now committed to spreading the message far and wide: anchor your furniture.
“I made the decision [to share her story online] after her birthday passed and how excruciating the grief was for not only me, but my entire family,” Taryn told NeedToKnow. “It was so intense, it moved me in the direction of ‘how can I prevent this happening to someone else’s child and their family so that no one has to feel the pain, guilt, and grief I feel on a day to day basis’.
“No parent should outlive their babies – especially not to preventable accidents. It was so unexpected and not something I would’ve ever thought about being a threat, because of how large and heavy that dresser was, as do many other parents.
“I wanted to share my pain in losing my daughter from a mistake I made so that others are more cautious and aware that this very tragedy is so real. Not only to me, but so many others that are silently struggling in their guilt.”
After Helena’s death, Taryn searched online and was shocked to discover other instances of avoidable fatalities like her daughter’s, triggered by unsecured furniture.
She went on in the post: “The heartbreaking truth is that furniture tip overs are far more common than most people realize. Thousands of children are injured every year when dressers, shelves, or TVs fall over.
“It’s most common in children under the age of six. Most of the time it happens because a curious child tries to climb or pull themselves up. But it takes only a second for something heavy to fall, and the consequences can be devastating.
“I cannot express enough how important it is to secure every piece of furniture you can, especially dressers when child-proofing your home. Anchoring takes only a small amount of time but can make all the difference in the world.
“Keeping tempting items off high surfaces and checking the stability of older furniture can also help protect little ones. I share this with a heavy heart, but also with hope for friends of mine with children and all mothers to take this precaution seriously.
“If my story can help even one family avoid this kind of tragedy, then my daughter’s memory is protecting others in a way that truly matters.”
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