Texas Toddler Dies After Antique Dresser Falls on Her

A 2-year-old girl died on Jan. 8 when an 80-pound antique dresser fell on her at her family's home in Denton, Texas, about 40 miles from Dallas. Taryn Cochrane, the girl's mother, wrote on social media that her daughter Helena had been climbing the open drawers to reach a toy when the dresser toppled over.

She said the incident happened quickly and silently. Cochrane stated she had kept the dresser in the home for years without considering it a hazard to her young children.

"The guilt and shame has all but consumed me, knowing that if I had taken the precautions of anchoring this dresser, my baby would still be here and her sister would still have her best friend," Cochrane wrote. She added that the dresser had seemed safe because of its size and weight, a view she said many parents share.

Months after the death, Cochrane began sharing her story to urge other parents to secure heavy furniture. She said the grief after Helena's birthday prompted her to act so that other families might avoid similar losses. "Anchoring takes only a small amount of time but can make all the difference in the world," she wrote.

U.S. and send about 14,000 more to emergency rooms. Children ages 1 to 3 are the most frequent victims.