Walk-a-thon to mark federal ban on drop-side cribs

Merokean Michele Witte has fought for more than 13 years to pass a federal ban on drop-side cribs ever since her 10-month-old son, Tyler Jonathan, died in 1997 after his neck became trapped between the side-rail and headboard of his drop-side crib.

On Tuesday, June 28, Witte will finally get her wish when a federal ban on drop-side cribs takes effect across the country.

"For me and my family, it's a sense of closure,” said Witte, who, with her husband, Henning, has worked with local legislators such as New York State Sen. Fuschillo Jr. and Assemblyman Tom McKevitt to pass the ban, first at the state level last August and now at the federal level. “When something so tragic like this happens, I kind of made a promise to myself that, whatever it takes, these cribs need to be off the market, and now it's finally a reality."

Witte has been a parent advocate for the national nonprofit organization Kids In Danger, a group dedicated to protecting children by improving product safety. Through the organization, she will host the first annual Project Safe Child Walk-a-thon on Sunday, June 26, at Cedar Creek Park in Wantagh.

Witte will co-host the event with Bellmorite Susan Cirigliano. Cirigliano and her husband, Robert, lost their 6-month-old son Bobby in 2004 in a drop-side crib accident.

The walk is intended to raise awareness about the new federal standards for child product safety, as well as funds for Kids in Danger. But Witt said the walk is more personal to her than that. "It's really because I never had a formal memorial for my son,” she said. “Things have been painful and frustrating over the years, learning of the deaths of so many other babies and not being able to do anything about it."

Aside from working with local legislators, Witte has also testified before Congress. Besides banning drop-side cribs, the new federal legislation will:

- Ban immobilizer or repair kits intended to fix the drop-side cribs.

- Require that the flats in cribs be made of stronger wood to prevent breakage.

- Require that cribs have anti-loosening hardware to keep them from falling apart.

- Mandate that mattresses be more durable, and that safety testing be more vigorous.

The walk, which will begin at 10 a.m. in Seaford, will feature speeches by local legislators, and Witte and Cirigliano will also say a few words. Registration for the event is free; the minimum pledge goal is $50 per participant. Event-day registration will begin at 9 a.m.

Witte said, "It’s a nice way to celebrate [Tyler’s] life, and celebrate the fact that the federal standards are finally coming in place, knowing that the same crib that killed him won't be able to go on and harm any other children."

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