To: Nashville Metro Council, Karl Dean, mayor, and Bill Haslam, Governor
Fund the 6 community centers still without air conditioning and proper water fountains!
On June 17,2015, my son was at the Shelby community center playing basketball when he suffered a heat stroke. He collapsed three times, hitting his head twice and losing control of his muscles and vision. Luckily his dad arrived and began pouring water on his head and ran him home to a cool bath before heading to the emergency room. The temperature in the gym was 105°and the water fountain only had hot water. He was treated at the hospital with iv fluids and underwent multiple tests. His headache is going on day three and he still has little strength and energy but otherwise was able to come home. This could have ended in tragedy and the next child might not be lucky enough to recover so well. When I contacted metro parks I discovered that Shelby center was one of 6 centers that still had not been upgraded with a/c and proper fountains. Since budget and funding are the only things keeping these centers from being upgraded, we need more funding allotted to these centers immediately. No child's life should be in jeopardy in a place created to be a sage environment for them and no amount of money will ever be worth the loss of life that could occur.
Why is this important?
On June 17,2015, my son was at the Shelby community center playing basketball when he suffered a heat stroke. He collapsed three times, hitting his head twice and losing control of his muscles and vision. Luckily his dad arrived and began pouring water on his head and ran him home to a cool bath before heading to the emergency room. The temperature in the gym was 105°and the water fountain only had hot water. He was treated at the hospital with iv fluids and underwent multiple tests. His headache is going on day three and he still has little strength and energy but otherwise was able to come home. This could have ended in tragedy and the next child might not be lucky enough to recover so well. When I contacted metro parks I discovered that Shelby center was one of 6 centers that still had not been upgraded with a/c and proper fountains. Since budget and funding are the only things keeping these centers from being upgraded, we need more funding allotted to these centers immediately. No child's life should be in jeopardy in a place created to be a safe environment for them and no amount of money will ever be worth the loss of life that could occur.