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Mum's tribute to son killed by deadly gas
BY PAUL JEEVES A MUM has poured out all her emotions in a heart-rending poem to commemorate the first anniversary of her little boy's death.
Stacey Rodgers has penned Our Children That Live In Our Heart as she bids to come to terms with the death of 10-year-old Dominic at their West Yorkshire home.
Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the tragedy and Stacey has joined forces with British Gas in a bid to make every other parent in the country aware of the potential dangers of CO – known as the silent killer.
In the poem, she writes of the heartache of the past 12 months after toxic fumes from a neighbour's boiler seeped into her son's bedroom while he slept.
Football
She speaks of her continued support for the schoolboy football team Dominic played for, the music played at his funeral – and more poignantly, how she still blames herself for his death and how that preys on her mind every day.
Stacey, 27, of Deighton, Huddersfield, said: "I've never written poetry before, but I was feeling down and just started writing on the computer.
Everything just flowed out and I was able to express what I was feeling.
"Dominic was such a happy boy and everyone remembers him because he always wore his goalie gloves and carried a football under his arm
"No matter how old your child is when they die or have been killed, they are still your child and your children shouldn't go before you.
"The last year has been unbearable and it's something I will never get over. I think about him every minute of every day.
"I just want to make sure other people don't go through the pain I have gone through. If I can do that, then at least I will achieve something.
"Appliances might look fine but still have a fault and that's why it's so important to get the checks done by the experts. We are not the experts and don't know what to look out for. A Corgi-registered expert does."
Steps
Chris Bielby, head of quality and standards at British Gas, added: "This poem will make tough reading for any parent. No-one can imagine what it must be like to lose a child – but it's something Stacey has to live with every day.
"We just want to make sure no-one else suffers like Stacey has because of carbon monoxide. Parents can take such simple steps to keep their children safe."
Chris said the first line of defence against CO poisoning in the home was to make sure every gas appliance is serviced regularly by a Corgi-registered engineer.
He added that homes should be fitted with a British Standard-approved carbon monoxide detector and he also urged people to be aware of the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Symptoms, often mistaken for flu, include recurring headaches, nausea, sickness, chest and/or stomach pains, general tiredness and fatigue. Anyone with these symptoms should seek medical advice immediately.
The highly poisonous gas is invisible and has no taste or smell.
paul.jeeves@ypn.co.uk
Extracts from Stacey's poem
You were one thing I never wanted taking from me
It broke my heart and made me who I am today see
You are on my mind even when I sleep at night
Because I know for sure this was not right
The days passed and the weeks as well
You in heaven me living in hell
You were part of me for so long
This is when I first knew you were gone.
Walking the streets late at night I'd do
Thinking mostly of me with you
My mind playing games not right
What happened to you that night?
I was kept alive for a reason that night
God knew I'd be able to stay and fight
Unlike you so young and bright
He knew keeping me alive that night was right.
I think of you every second of every day
Why did someone have to take my boy away?
You up there me down here on my own
All I seem to do is work and also moan.
It's been ages since I last saw you
Still not knowing in my life what to do
Still waiting for you to run through the door
All I say is God please no more
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
