Each year, more than 30 children lose their lives after being left in hot cars across the United States, according to the National Safety Council. This tragic reality is underscored by a simple truth: it may never happen to you, but it could.
In July, Ollie Dill would have celebrated his ninth birthday. His mother, Jamie Dill, remembers him fondly.
“We called him our sour patch kid—sour on the outside but super sweet once you got to know him,” said Dill.
Tragically, nearly six years ago, in July 2019, Ollie died after being accidentally left in a hot car in southwest Indiana. Jamie recounted how her husband went on autopilot, heading straight to his office without realizing their son was still strapped in the backseat until he went to pick him up from daycare that afternoon.
In response to their devastating loss, the Dill family established the Be Kind for Ollie Foundation a year after Ollie's death. The organization aims to educate families about the dangers of hot car deaths and also give back to the community.
“We are trying to save our children and families from going through that same situation,” Jamie said.
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To help prevent such tragedies, the foundation encourages parents to adopt practical safety measures, including implementing a call-in system with their daycare and placing reminders in the backseat each day.
“Our goal is to ensure that families like ours don't have to endure that heartbreak again,” Jamie said.
She added a simple reminder: “Don’t think it will ever happen to you, and be kind.”
This story was originally published by Adam Schumes with the Scripps News Group in Indianapolis.
