In a series of heartfelt Instagram Stories, Lindsay bravely opened up about her fears regarding the public reception of her shared story. She expressed concerns about how she and her family might be perceived in the harsh light of the internet, where reactions can often be unforgiving and critical. Despite her apprehensions, she felt compelled to share Reed’s story in hopes of making a difference.

Alongside her emotional retelling, Lindsay emphasized the critical importance of securing household furniture and heavy items, such as mirrors, to prevent tragic accidents like the one that took her son’s life. She is determined to use her platform to advocate for safety measures that every parent should implement in their homes to protect their children.

While Lindsay can only speculate about the exact events leading to the tragic incident, she believes that her son may have been using one of his suction cup bowls to pull on the mirror, inadvertently causing it to fall. Her insights shared through social media reveal the thoughts and emotions she experienced during this unimaginable moment.

At the time of the accident, Lindsay was merely ten feet away from Reed, preoccupied with preparing dinner. She recalls hearing the mirror fall, but shockingly, there was no sound from Reed, which led her to believe he was unharmed until she lifted the fallen mirror to discover the horrific reality underneath.

Even in the aftermath, Reed remained silent and seemingly uninjured when she picked him up, leading her to feel relieved, thinking he might just be in shock. However, that relief quickly turned to despair as she realized he was not the Reed she once knew.

Lindsay detailed that upon lifting Reed, based on his demeanor, she instantly knew something was profoundly wrong and that the situation was dire. She never fathomed it could be so severe that he wouldn’t survive the incident, which added to her immense heartbreak and disbelief.

As she later learned, the mirror struck Reed’s head at the right angle, resulting in a skull fracture and a traumatic brain injury, which she candidly shared with her audience as she grapples with the reality of her loss. [traumatic brain injury]

She recounted that the “battalion chief described it as ‘the perfect storm’ of circumstances leading to this tragedy.

After the accident, when Lindsay repositioned the mirror against the wall, she noticed that Reed’s suction bowl was still attached to it, which led her to a shocking realization about how the accident unfolded. This moment of clarity was both painful and enlightening as she pieced together the tragic events.

Describing the mirror, Lindsay explained, “It’s one of those heavy-duty mirrors that leans against the wall.” It had been in that position for over a year without any issues, so they believed it was secure despite the potential dangers it posed.

“There’s no way our children are strong enough to move it, let alone pull it down on themselves,” she reflected. “We knew that, so the urgency to anchor it wasn’t there,” which highlights the common misconception many parents have regarding household safety.

However, Lindsay admitted that anchoring the mirror was indeed on their to-do list. “Everything in our home is childproofed, but now we have to live with this for the rest of our lives,” she lamented, illustrating how even diligent parents can overlook critical safety measures.

She shared various childproofing measures they had taken in their home, including window locks, safety gates, window screens, outlet covers, and more, emphasizing the deep emotional pain that comes when a tragedy strikes a family that is genuinely trying to protect their children. “It’s not like we just sit around doing nothing about our kids’ safety,” she asserted.

“We simply failed to secure one vital item, and that’s what it ultimately comes down to.”

Lindsay hopes that by sharing her story, other parents will take a moment to reevaluate their own home safety practices and preparedness to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

“Be cautious with your suction utensils and suction toys around any furniture or mirrors, and always anchor heavy items, even if you think they won’t tip over,” she warned. “Surprisingly, they can.”

In another post, Lindsay expressed her anxiety about sharing her story publicly, yet she felt a compelling need to reach out to others. “We didn’t owe anyone an explanation, and I know that,” she reflected. “But I truly shared this for awareness purposes.”

“We are aware that we will be judged for this,” she wrote in another slide, “but anyone who spreads misinformation or has something negative to say will simply be blocked. We’ve endured enough trauma and heartache as it is.”

“This shouldn’t have happened,” she asserted. “Keep your opinions to yourselves, as this was clearly a quick and freak accident that could happen to anyone.”

Lindsay shared that she and her family had many discussions before deciding to tell their story, regardless of any potential backlash. “This could potentially save another child, and that makes all the backlash worth it,” she emphasized, showcasing her commitment to advocacy.

“Anything you think or say about the situation won’t bring our child back, so just remember that,” she wrote. “I have thick skin, so nothing you say is going to break me. My greatest fear came true. Nothing scares me anymore.”

As people began responding to Lindsay’s initial posts with inquiries, she provided additional details about that tragic day, including her final happy memory with Reed before the accident occurred.

For one, she expressed gratitude that her husband Eric wasn’t in California at the time, as he typically commutes there for work. Although he was out, he was just down the street when the accident happened, and their other children were at home.

“The children came running when they heard my reaction to seeing the mirror fall,” she recalled, “so sadly, they witnessed the entire incident.” She shared how her daughter attempted to reach Reed but became “hysterical” upon seeing the panic on her face. Thankfully, her other young son was too young to comprehend what was happening.

Lindsay expressed immediate concern that her daughter might be traumatized by the experience, given her sensitivity and tendency to hold onto events. However, “by the grace of God, she has shown no signs of actual trauma,” which is a relief for the family.

However, Lindsay revealed that the children do indeed remember the incident, as she has heard them express sentiments such as, “I hate the mirror for hurting Reed” and “I’m sad that the mirror fell on Reed,” demonstrating the lasting impact of the tragedy on their young minds.

She praised her husband for his quick response, as he returned home almost immediately, arriving even before the paramedics. “He knew exactly what to do to help him, and as soon as the medics arrived, he started listing everything that was wrong with Reed,” she noted, highlighting his preparedness and composure during the crisis.

Lindsay also expressed gratitude that Reed’s injuries appeared to be internal, as he “still looked like our normal, precious baby boy” on the outside. She admitted that she “can’t even fathom how we would be right now if it had physically harmed him on the outside… I’m not sure I’d ever be able to get that image out of my head.”

Instead, she cherishes the memory of his last moments before the accident, describing how her two older children were playing in the front room while Reed was happily engaged by himself near the pool table.

“I remember looking right at him as I passed by and thought how cute it was that he was playing by himself rather than with his siblings… He was just so content and happy,” she reminisced. “And that was the last memory or image I have of him when he was the Reed that we all knew. At least he was happy doing what he loved most—playing with magna tiles.”

Despite her initial concerns, Lindsay returned to her Instagram Stories to share the overwhelmingly positive responses her story has been receiving from the community.

“Honestly, when I shared the accident, I really didn’t expect people to start sharing it,” she admitted. “When I saw the first few people sharing it, it put a pit in my stomach, and my first thoughts were, ‘Well here we go… it’s now out there and being shared.’”

However, she quickly discovered that her fears were unfounded, as the majority of the feedback she received was positive and supportive. “Seeing how many of you can relate to this and how many didn’t have any of their items anchored definitely helped us not feel so alone in this,” she shared, highlighting the sense of community that emerged from her tragedy.

She posted a picture of the large mirror from her home, explaining that it was designed to lean against a wall rather than being mounted. “BUT it still could be anchored,” she added. “Obviously, it was anchored right after the accident to prevent this from happening again,” underscoring the importance of proactive safety measures.

Lindsay also shared that she couldn’t resist the urge to investigate exactly what had happened with Reed, so she took the bowl he had used and recreated what she believes transpired that day.

“The suction is strong (never when you need it to be), but it’s obvious on a mirror,” she explained, adding that after applying hardly any force to pull, she was “shocked by how easy it was to slightly pull the mirror off the wall (just enough for it to tip).”

While continuing to share reactions from other parents who are now anchoring their furniture and taking additional safety measures to safeguard their children, Lindsay stated, “As much as it still makes my heart ache to know Reed had to be the one to pass away for people to be reminded, I’m grateful awareness is spreading. No one is exempt from a tragic accident.”

As messages continued to come in “several times a day” over the weeks, Lindsay returned to her platform to share that she “did NOT expect the ‘awareness’ to travel so far and wide. God knew… and I’m glad it has. Prevention is everything.”

As her story gained traction in mainstream media, with features in People and E! News, Lindsay felt grateful that her message and mission were reaching a broader audience. However, she pushed back against the narrative portraying her as a “parenting influencer,” emphasizing the difficulty of having to relive her trauma once again.

“God give us strength. All these people are tardy to the party… and this has been our nightmare since February,” she shared in one of her story posts. “More awareness is spreading, and I’m grateful for that, which is why I shared what happened in the first place.”

“But it doesn’t make it any easier to cope with,” she continued. “Beauty from ashes. That’s what I keep telling myself.”

She also clarified that she did not share any of her story or images only to wake up to People‘s coverage on her Facebook feed: “What a lovely thing to see…”

However, she characterized the label as “ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING” for referring to her as a “parenting influencer.” Lindsay argued, “What even is that, and WHEN did I ever claim that or give myself that absurd title? Absolute nonsense.”

She insisted that she is not an influencer at all, nor does she care about follower counts—pointing out that her numbers increased after sharing Reed’s story.

“So to paint the picture that I’m just another self-centered influencer is appalling,” she wrote. “I’m just your average mama of three, homemaker, and fire wife—obsessed with her family, living in Idaho, nothing outrageous.”

Due to some “misinformation and incorrect assumptions,” she has been receiving more “disgusting comments,” which she is simply blocking: “I can’t keep up, nor do I want to.”

“I will just continue to choose the positive out of this and hope that this does more good than it does harm,” she concluded, reinforcing her commitment to advocacy and awareness.