Hang your Stockings with Care: Preventing Fireplace Injuries with a Pretty Padded Cover
Horizons in Hemophilia, December 2012
By Penny Kumpf, RN, VWD Community Outreach Nurse
A fireplace can be a magnet for a head injury with a little one learning to walk. The parents of a toddler who has hemophilia were particularly concerned about his safety around their stacked stone fireplace hearth. To keep their little one’s noggin’ safe, they built this cover: 
According to Dad Robbie, “Mason has hit his head pretty hard on it twice and he didn't even so much as cry. He just got up and kept playing. Without it, it would have been an instant ER visit.”
Here’s how Robbie built the cover: “I used 1x12 wood (because it was about 2 inches higher than my fireplace hearth) and nailed the edges together to form a box around our fireplace. I used pipe insulation (1/4'' I believe) around all of the corners to give extra padding. Then I wrapped the entire thing in batting and secured it with staples. We then wrapped it in fabric and stapled it again!” 
We thank Robbie for sharing! We’d love to pass along additional tips and suggestions that might help other parents keep their children safe. Please talk to your nurse or social worker or send us an email at mail@hog.org.