British Girl Dies from Imitating TV Cartoon

[Hum]

A couple who found their daughter hanging by her hairband in a freak accident believe she was trying to copy a stunt from her favourite cartoon series.

Phil Brown and Lorraine Ford, 26, tried desperately to save four-year-old Paige when they discovered her in her bedroom but were unable to revive her.

Paige had recently watched a scene in which a character was swinging around with what looked like a rope attached to his neck.

She was with her grandmother who said the programme was either Dora The Explorer or Go Diego Go. Mr Brown, 33, said yesterday: "She can't be certain which one because she watched both with Paige.

"She even said to Paige at the time, 'You must never do that'. But no one could have foreseen what has happened. We are all absolutely heartbroken."

Paige was playing alone in her room at the family home in Hawkinge, near Folkestone, Kent, when the hairband became caught on a hammock where she kept her cuddly toys.

Her parents became worried when she did not reply after they called her for lunch on New Year's Day. They went upstairs to check and found her hanging with the hairband round her neck.

They called the emergency services and tried to resuscitate Paige before an air ambulance arrived, landing in a park near their home.

Despite the efforts of medics on board, she was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Go Diego Go is about a boy who jumps, swings and sings in English and Spanish during his adventures.

Dora the Explorer features a young girl and her animal friends in a series of scrapes.

Both are shown on the digital channel NickJr, part of the Nickelodeon Group.

Mr Brown, who works for a vending machine company, also has a two-year-old son Kailun with Miss Ford, an administrative officer.

"Paige was the most beautiful, loving and caring girl you could ever have wished to have," he said.

"She was a bundle of joy who lit up every room she walked into - slightly mischievous but the most intelligent child I have ever known.

"We just don't know what we will do without her."

He has not been able to tell eight-year-old Daniel, his son from a previous relationship, the sad news.

"They spent a lot of time together, it's the hardest thing I will have to do," he said.

Miss Ford added: "Paige was just a great girl who lit up our lives."

She had just started at Churchill Primary in Hawkinge, where teachers plan a memorial service.

A post-mortem examination was held yesterday. The date for her funeral has not been set but Paige's family want mourners to wear pink, her favourite colour.

A spokesman for NickJr said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Paige's family. All NickJr programming is made with the greatest care and attention, especially for pre-schoolers."

source

[Rappy Veteran]

:(

Man thats awful

[Amadeke]

OK, the young girl dieing is very unfortunate.

My respect to the parents.

But what a crappy message blaming TV for the something the girl may have done after she may have seen ...

[PENGUINwithM4A1]

Very unfortunate :s

[shadowmatt]

Lets ban everything.

Only the parents are to blame not the tv program. They are the ones to teach kids right from wrong, whatever the circumstances, they too need to watch young children at all times, where possible.

In fact it seems that the cause of death was the hammock that her hair got caught in.

I blame India Jones as the made swinging and exploring popular or that old Atari Game Jungle Hunt. Maybe Marilyn Manson can be blamed some how. Didnt TinTin go on jungle adventures.

Most stupid news article I have read in 2008.

Edited January 4, 2008 by shadowmatt

[Stonkwell Bogtrotter]

How the hell would anyone know she "copied" the TV programme??? She was alone in the bedroom when she died. It is more than likely just an unfortunate freak accident. Her hairband got caught on her hammock where she kept her toys. Maybe she went to choose a toy and somehow slipped with her hairband being caught up in part of the hammock?

I think perhaps this is the parents looking for something to "blame". A grieving process maybe.

Plus that crap rag The Daily Mail is always trying to blame TV or peados or the Internet for stuff in non-related incidents.

[Brodel]

Why is everyone getting so defensive? They haven't asked to ban the show and they aren't blaming it, they are explaining what they think she may have imitated...that's all.

If you actually read the article, you won't have to make one up in your heads to reply to.

[Stonkwell Bogtrotter]

But why automatically explain it away like that?

I would say there is far more chance that she went to get a toy and simply slipped thus getting her hairband caught around her neck. A few kids have died in freak accdents where they have strangled themselves on thier bunkbed etc.

[Aleck79]

here is the image that they said she was immitating... dunno bout this one.

[shadowmatt]

Because we have to get defensive. The newspaper devoted 1/3rd of the article to Dora and contacted NickJr. These crappy newspapers are always trying to start a bandwagon to sell newspapers and exploiting a childs death is terrible.

After the newspapers went on about pedophiles living in every street of every city, a pediatrician (child doctor) was attacked. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/901723.stm

After the columbine massacre the police and press blamed Marilyn Manson although it later turned out the murderers didnt own any of his music.

Hitler blamed the Jews for most of Germans problems.

Irrational news papers, editors and members of the public like to scapegoat many of todays problems rather than dealing with them.

Is life more violent today, has society broken down, is the media responsible, dont you wish it was like it was in the good old days where people respected each other?

Good Old Days -

2 World Wars, Millions dead

Deadly viruses killing millions, including flu

Blacks have little civil rights

Women cant vote

Working class lives in poverty

Crime high, criminals sent them to Australia

Infant mortality was a lot higher

all this without Dora, Marilyn Manson or Grand Theft Auto.

[neufuse Veteran]

why in the world did the cartoon have him with that around his neck? are these animators idiots?....

[Brandon]

Only in America Britain

[thejohnnyq]

Animators idiots? don't think so. The blame here belongs to the person whom did the act and the parents, no one else.

[neufuse Veteran]

Only in America Britain

Only in the whole world....

Animatirs idiots? don't think so. The blame here belongs to the person whom did the act and the parents, no one else.

The animators showed the boy swinging around with a rope around his neck and body... comon dont tell me they arn't at fault also... they tried to show that was able to work when it wasn't... they know better... yes parents should be watching their kids but unless you have kids you know you can't watch them 24/7.... Cartoons for young kids shouldn't show bad things that could harm them... even loony tunes wasn't intended for young kids, it was more for the upper kid age range... this show is intended for 2 to 6 year olds..

[Brandon]

Its gotta be the HDTV's fault. If the image werent so sharp, they wouldnt be able to tell it was around the neck

[spacer]

Yet again, it's the parents to blame. The child was 4 years old. Any one who has kids or has helped raise kids knows that you do not leave a child alone.

[Tha Bloo Monkee]

That's sad :(

However you can't blame the TV show at all.

[thejohnnyq]

Responsibility rest with only the parties involved,, not perceived.

First, why did not the parents explain that the cartoon is not real?

Second, Why should we believe the parents, The whole Butt Head and Bevis issue on banning started because some burned down there house, and the night before there was something on B&B about burn something down, press ran with it, and blamed MTV, they were sued, turns out the family did not have cable, and no one in the trailer park had cable, (there was an outage for several days). Parents lied, Grand Parents lied and so did everyone related to the family.

[SkyyPunk Veteran]

why in the world did the cartoon have him with that around his neck? are these animators idiots?....

have you swung around on ropes on trees? it helps ergonomics :)

But seriously...thats sad, so young :(

[neufuse Veteran]

Yet again, it's the parents to blame. The child was 4 years old. Any one who has kids or has helped raise kids knows that you do not leave a child alone.

Yet every parent knows, you can never watch your kid 24/7.... do you watch them sleep? I doubt it... just this past week a 2 year old boy wondered out of bed at night out into the cold and froze to death... are the parents at fault? You cant tell me they are... are the parents supose to lock their kid in their room with bubble wrapped corners and nothing that could possibly in any way hurt the kid?

[Eric Veteran]

Something smells here... The story is too contrived. The parents did something to that girl and then looked around for someone or something to pin it on.

[neufuse Veteran]

have you swung around on ropes on trees? it helps ergonomics :)

But seriously...thats sad, so young :(

actually... we have lots of large vines in the woods behind our house... we just to do that... just we never put it around our necks!

[captain cracksmoke]

i could se if it was a stupid nickalodeon type cartoon that teaches kids to be a.d.d, be hyper active and make stupid noises for no reason. but dora the explorer? they are gonna need a better defense than that

[Aleck79]

Responsibility rest with only the parties involved,, not perceived.

First, why did not the parents explain that the cartoon is not real?

seriously... did you even read the article?

yes they explained never to do it and told the kid.

She was with her grandmother who said the programme was either Dora The Explorer or Go Diego Go. Mr Brown, 33, said yesterday: "She can't be certain which one because she watched both with Paige.

"She even said to Paige at the time, 'You must never do that'. But no one could have foreseen what has happened. We are all absolutely heartbroken."

[Tech Star]

That sucks for the family, looks like she did not listen to not doing what she saw. R.I.P.