an angel in heaven  / Thomas Napoli (a friend forever )

i would like to just take the time to send my condolescences out to kyles's friends and family on his very very sad loss. i was watching the youtube video and it broke my heart, but i know kyle is looking down on you smiling and watching over u. I myself have been telling my girlfriend who has 2 kids( one is 5 and one is 4) that u can tell the 5 year old out of his car seat and buckle him in, but after watching your video and i will most definitely tell her not too.. you guys are absolutely amazing in what your doing and how strong all of u are. please email me back if u can and if u need anything at all please let me know.

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Beautiful Angel In Heaven  / Marcia De Matos
Wow, I just wanted to say that your son was wonderful and in himself a beautiful gift. I have a 3 year old son that reminds of your son and I could only imagine your pain. I want you know that your story really touched my heart and I think about Kyle everytime I look at my kids. After reading your story, I have looked into buying a regent considering my 6 year old daughter is in a booster right now. Thank you for sharing your story, it takes a lot of courage to read much less write. I will never forget you, your family and your sweet little boy Kyle, you are always in my prayers. God Bless You, until you meet you baby again! Close

Kyle - hope you are smiling down from Heaven!  / The Whitmire Family (admirer from afar )

I chose this picture out of all of the ones you posted since I am also a father.  I have a daughter who's almost a year old and she sometimes sits in my lap, just like Kyle is doing here.  I feel like such a powerful man when I am protecting her while she is sitting in my lap.  I have read your story and I was deeply touched.  I know (knowing what you knew) that, although you protected Kyle since he was born... you couldnt' protect him that fateful day of his passing.  I'm sure you have since gotten over any guilt from this (at least I hope you have), but if you haven't, I (just a stranger, I know...) want you to know that you did the best you could as a loving Father.  The pictures you've posted definitely prove that.  

I take a ton of pictures of our daughter and I have plenty that look very similar to yours.  It really saddens me that Kyle's life was cut short - he had such a loving family (on earth, anyway - Heaven awaits a joyful reunion, for certain).  For reasons we do not yet know (but we WILL know someday, for certain, I feel it in my heart!),  God chose Kyle to leave this earth.  Children die every day of accidents, disease, etc....  and it just doesn't seem fair.  Good people die, while bad ones keep living full lives.  Again... one day, we'll all know why.  God has a master plan...  it's just unfortunate (or fortunate, if you are one of the children Kyle's story has saved from death) that Kyle was part of those plans.   I'm rambling on... sorry about that.

In closing, I just want to say that your family seems a lot like mine - I can sense it in your story and pictures, also.  I can relate on a lot of different points.  But I cannot fathom the pain you and your family have endured these past ffew years.  My heart goes out to you... and I look forward to meeting Kyle one day in Heaven (and to tell him what he already knows: he's a hero - and so is his Daddy - and the rest of his family too!).  Thanks for sharing your story and I'm VERY grateful to see how sharing it has helped so many other families w/children in need. 

 

PS -  Thanks for creating and posting the videos on YouTube!

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your are great  / Mandy Anderson
i think that what you are doing is great you say you dont know why this happened to you and you may never know in this life maybe it was so you could came and tell all us mother about it so it does not happen to another mommy what you are doing is great i have to say when my second child was born he got my daughters 5 point harnesh seat and she was big enough for a buster seat but now that i have read your story i dont want her in it right now im not working but when i get enogh money to buy one i so am i dont want this to happen to my kid thank you so much i just lost my uncle in the metro link crash on 9/12/2008 and i say y my uncle but he loved god more then anyone i know and i say maybe he took the place of someone that did not believe in god and now they do because there servived we will never know y these things happen but all we can do is speak up about them so thank you Close

Thank You!  / Brooke McLemore

Hi, my name is Brooke McLemore and I just wanted to share with you how your story has impacted the lives of my family.  My husband and I have two children ages 4 and almost 2.  Last year I visited the elite car seat website to order my son Landon (4) a new car seat.  I had contemplated putting him in a booster seat, but wanted to research it first.  This is when I came across your story.  In tears after watching the video, I opted not to put him in a booster and I purchased the Britax Regent carseat you spoke of.  One month later, the kids and I were in an accident in which I overcorrected on a 2 lane highway going 60 mph when we came up a hill and around a curve to see an 18 wheeler in our lane.  We rolled three times before our car came to a stop.  Miraculously and only by the grace of God, my kids walked away without a scratch!  I had several pieces of glass in my legs and face from our shattered windshield that required stitches, but that was it.  My car was totalled and by the looks of it, you would have never known anyone survived.  Medical personnel and rescue help commented on our carseats (my daugher sits in a Britax roundabout) and how well they protected my childen.  I believe that it was God that protected us all that day just as he led me to your story a month before.  I have forwarded the video to many people over the past year and your story has impacted them as well.  I cannot imagine your pain, but I admire you for taking a stand and in turn impacting our lives and no telling how many more.  Thank you for your courage, it is inspiring.

Matt, Brooke, Landon and Lexsey McLemore

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Thank you  / Robyn DeGaetano (none)

Thank you so much for sharing your story with thousands of us out here with small children.  My husband has been trying to pressure me into putting our 5-year-old daughter in a booster seat and I have been resisting, and now I finally have something I can show him that will prove that my instincts were right!  You video brought tears to my eyes instantly, and I cried the whole way through - I can scarcely imagine the pain your family has gone through.  God bless you and your family for taking your tragic experience and using it to save thousands of children out there in the world...

Robyn

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1st time mom...  / Mialee
I can't thank you enough for spreading your message.  I'm currently researching convertible car seats for my 6 month old son.  My initial thought was to buy something to get him to 40 lbs and then move him to a booster seat.  THANK YOU for showing me the reason to buy a model that will keep him in a harness as long as possible. Close

Thank you  / Christina And Alexander Oats (None)

Thank you for your video on Youtube.  Your family and Kyle are in my prayers and thoughts very often.  I am sorry for your loss. 

I first saw your video back in late 2006/early 2007 when I was pregnant with my first son.  It brought me to tears that first time and now I can't stop thinking about your family and Kyle when i hear this song.  It touches such a tender spot in my heart and fills me with joy for my own son as well as such sadness for the loss of such a beautiful vibrant boy.  I have since become a very strong advacate for proper carseat usage, extended rearfacing and extended 5 pt. harnessing for children in the car.  Sometimes i am sure that I get annoying among my friends but it is such a simple move to help protect our children.

Thank you for getting the message out.  Your family, along with Kyle will always have a spot in my heart.

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I am so sorry for your loss  / Tanya Phillips
I could never express to you how sorry I am for your loss of Kyle.  Even though it has been 3 years, I know the pain must be just as deep.  I have 3 children, and after an injury that my 3 year old sustained from his car seat (not from an accident, but from a design flaw), I was researching a new car seat for him.  He is 40 pounds and was in a booster seat with the 5 point harness but was about to max out on the weight.  I had the booster that could have the harness removed and then used with the seat belt.  I have never felt comfortable using the seat belt and kept putting it off.  I told family/friends that I would use the seat belt when my son turned 4, but in actuality I wasn't sure when I'd do it.  When looking online to find another car seat I came across a link for your youtube video.  I watched it in horror, and suddenly my "paranoia" was right in front of my face---my worst nightmare, was your reality.  I called my husband and told him with car seat I wanted to buy.  I said I want to get the Britax Regent for Denis (my son).  He said "how much does this car seat cost?".  I said "$279.00"  He was silent.  I said I want to buy 2 of them.  One for Katherine (our 2 1/2 year old) that was in an identical booster as my son's.  He said "well, if that what will make you feel safer."  I said that it would, and that night we went to Buy Buy Baby and bought 2 Britax Regents for our children.  I feel a lot safer with them, and your son could very well saves my children's lives someday.  I also have a 10 month old who is rear facing in an Evenflo convertible seat.  I am trying to sell some of my baby stuff that she has outgrown so that I can buy a Britax Marathon and keep her rear facing for as long as possible.  Your son DID NOT die in Vain.  I watched your video, and I read your story, and I LISTENED to your message and took your advice.  I could never thank you enough.  Your son will be in my mind and heart every time I buckle my 3 children into thier car seats.  Please accept my most sincere and heartfelt condolences on your tragically painful loss.  You will be in my prayers! Close

Your beauitful baby boy...  / Priscilla Troy

I have just watched your video on youtube and directed myself to this memorial site. I don't even know how to put the words together to express my heartache at the lose of your beauitful baby boy.

Thankyou for being so brave in sharing your story to prevent this from happening to another child. As a mother i know how hard it was for me just to read your story little own have had to sit down and write it. I know your kyle would be smiling down on you and your family everyday. His smiling little face will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Priscilla

And please know your message has been reached all over, even to a little place called Umina Beach in Sydney Australia.

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Thank you  / De Ann Letourneau

I want to send my prayers to you and your family.  Your story had me in tears and SO grateful for you and Kyle to share your story.  Kyle was here to teach us about more safety!

I have 3 young daughters, 6, 3 & 1.  I had moved the 6yr (then 5) to a booster....thinking she was a big girl and just about to move our 3yr old to a booster. 

After reading Kyles message to us...I quickly changed my mind and am firmly keeping them in 5-pt.  Well, that was 1 yr ago and I was just about to move them again and somehow found Kyle's message again.  I watched it again and AGAIN felt as if it was God & Kyle telling me NOT TO!!!  Why else would his message appear again to me?

We have always used Britax, just wanted to tell you that Kyle's message has helped many make better, more informed decisions for safety.  Thank you.  And Thank you to Kyle who is helping spread the message every day!

You are truly a blessed family to have had him in your lives and be able to share the message with other families!

God Bless you and THANK YOU!

De Ann

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I received an angel the day yours moved to heaven.  / Christa Clark
I just read of this story tonight, while searching car seats on a local web site.  My daughter was born May 29, 2005. I received my angel the day your angel moved on to heaven. Today, Sunday, June 1, 2008, we celebrated my daughter's 3rd birthday and I realized that as my family celebrated our angel, your family must be grieving your angel. As a parent of a 3 year old daughter and a 16 month old son (who are ironically 20 months apart) I cannot imagine the heartache and tradgedy your familly has encountered. I am moved to tears by your story and can't help but feel a connection to Kyle and your family. My heart aches for such a loss and yet I can somehow find a peace in knowing that Kyle is in heaven. I don't know if you have ever heard of the song "Jesus has a rocking chair," but if you ever have the opportunity to listen to it, I'm sure it will provide some comfort in knowing that although you no longer care for your son here on earth, he couldn't be taken better care of now. I pray for comfort and peace for your family and hope that time will continue to heal your wounds. Kyle is proud of your family and his big sister for the way you have helped so many families and children, and the number of lives you have saved. Thank you for your contributions and for sharing your story with the world, as I can not imagine how hard this must be.  As my family continues to celebrate the birth of my daughter from year to year, we will now remember your son Kyle on this special day as well. We will realease a blue balloon for him on this day as my daughter grows older to honor his life. I do beleive that everything happens for a reason and everyone has a devine purpose.  Although Kyle's life was ended all to soon, I still believe that he fulfilled his purpose on earth, that he was sent here to do. He has touched so many lives and will continue to do so through the foundation you have created in his memory.  I am sharing this story with everyone I know and will be making a contribution to your foundation in his memory. Your story has definitely "hit-home" and made me consider, and re-consider, a lot of things when it comes to my children. I will definetely be more consciencious of their car seats and their safety, for you just can not put a price tag on that. I will also take a step back and realize that everyday with my children is a gift and a blessing; and on those days when I am stressed out and wishing I had a job just to get a break, that voice will be reminding me not to take for granted the days and the time I do have to spend with my children, at home. For you never know when Jesus will call them home to heaven and as hard as it is, you will just have to let them go. Close

Thinking of you all  / Denice From NY (in my heart )

I just wanted to tell you Kyle and you Christine & Kevin & Katie and all of Kyle's loved ones that I am thinking of you especially, even more strongly this Memorial Day weekend.  My three little guys will be wearing their Kyle t-shirts on Sunday and Monday in memory of you, sweet little angel. 

God bless you all and know that I (and so many others) am praying for peace in your hearts and sweet memories to fill your days on this difficult weekend.

I carry all of you in my heart always for all of my days.

Kyle, I know you'll send down loads of love to your Mommy & Daddy & Katie and your brothers and all those who love you.  I imagine you living up there in Heaven in complete happiness, so free, and so loved.... and I thank God that there is a Heaven for precious angels like you.

Sincerely-  XOXO

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thank you for sharing  / Jamie Mollenhauer
What a happy looking little boy. Luckily we were not in a car accident when I discovered that seatbelts don't always work. My children were going to stay with their grandmother, so we were having their carseats installed in their new CR-V. When the installer went to pull on the belt to properly tighten it, it popped out. Thinking that it just was never popped in its latch correctly, we tried again and when pulled tight, it flew out of the latch again. We were told to immediately go a get a new seatbelt. How terrifying. I would never have imagined this could happen and I bet most people never pull hard enough on their seatbelts to find out if theirs is faulty. They will unfortunately find out in an accident. I am very grateful that you shared your story because although I know my seatbelts work, I did have my daughter in a booster and am now going outside to switch her back into her 5-point harness. May God bless your family. Close

Thank you Kyle  / Arturo Valdez

Kyle I just saw your video on yourtube about the 5 point harnes and i whant to thank you for helping me.

i have 3 son two girls and one boy and  2 and 4 years old and they know as well as me the importance of the seat belt, but knowing what happend to you is going to change how we us them and i´m goig to take your advice on the Britax regent.

What happened to you wasn´t in vain me and my kyds will be safer thanks to you.

PD. Be proud of your parents they love you very much and they miss you, but best of all they are helping you to help lots of people. 

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thank you for sharing ur little angels story...  / Helaine Debenedetto (will always be in my heart )
I just want to let u know how sorry i am for the loss of ur precious little boy. Wow. he really was amazing. I have a daughter Kaitlyn who was born in 2005 and just turned 3 and is a few lbs away from growing out of her car seat. My parents thought it would be a great idea to get a booster for there car so that they could take her around too since alot of them say 30lbs and up. well, i put her in it once and now i am going to make a phone call and ask them to donate that booster to a MUCH larger child. I see that it only take a few minutes to lose all that is important in ur life.... I am looking into a new carseat put out by graco. its the nautalus and it says it will keep a child in the harness until 65lbs. wondering what other moms are doing.... whatever it is my daughter will not be in a booster until the last possible moment... Luckily she only goes in our car about once a week but i guess it only takes a blink of an eye. Once again... i am so sorry for ur loss and for ur husband and daughters loss too. I saw all there pics and u he is beautiful.... Close

Thank you  / Christina Oatman
First- my sympathy is with you and your family.  I can not imagine how you could possibly feel.  I just had a baby 4 weeks ago.  Your video was forwarded to me and it hit home.  I thank you for the time to create and offer that advice- it is very strong of you and thoughtful! Close

Thank you  / Sylvie Todd
Thank you so much for being able to go past your grief and sharing this with everyone so that the same thing does not happen to other precious little ones. I have two sons of my own and my heart just broke when I saw your video. Your boy reminds me so much of mine.  I was going to buy a  booster seat to use in our second car but after seeing  the video, I am going to  buy another  5 point harness seat...
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Thank you  / Maria Maahs
Thank you for sharing the story of Kyle's life and for saving so many other children.  I can not begin to imagine how hard this is for you.    Because of you I've put my children in 5point booster seats.  I wish you peace and I thank you again for your courage to reach out to others.  God bless. Close

I am so sorry  / Nichole Small

I am so sorry for everything that you had to go through....I just want to say that I thank you for giving others the most crucial information that they should ever know....I have a 2 year old and a 1 year both boys and my oldest is in a booster seat sorta like the one your son was in that day... YOu have opened my eyes and have saved my child's life and saved my family from the unneeded heartache your family has gone through...Thank you so much for sharing this information and I pray that you and your family are able to heal with time....Just remember you will see your beautiful son again one day and you will never have to loose him ever again.....

Sincerly Nichole Small

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