The woman was in a coma, and afterward “it took her a very long time to learn how to do everything all over again,” Ms. Markey says. “And because those types of brain injuries are permanent, she has to live with a disability.” After caring for many patients injured in accidents, she told herself she could do more. “If there’s anything I can do to prevent somebody from having to go through that, that’s what I’m here for,” she says. Ms. Markey returned to school and earned a master of science degree in nursing. She focused on public health. In 2009, she organized a ThinkFirst chapter for Einstein Healthcare Network. She now goes to elementary, middle, and high schools in the Philadelphia area to explain how kids can keep themselves safe while they ride bikes, play sports, and participate in other activities. Her talks have reached more than 5,000 children. Ms. Markey tells them to avoid unnecessary roughness in sports and to wear their seatbelts in cars. When biking, she says, “make sure your clothing is bright and visible. If you’re riding at night, have reflective tape or something that makes you stand out. Try to have your lights on at night. ... Make sure you’re riding with traffic—not against it.” Cathy Markey Helping kids reduce their risk of injury As Karen climbed over a fence after retrieving a ball, her shoelace got caught in the mesh. She fell and hit her head on the ground. Karen felt that something was wrong in her neck. She told her friend not to move her but instead to call for help. When the emergency responders arrived, they moved Karen correctly, and she avoided a potentially serious spinal cord injury. Karen had learned about spinal cord injuries during a talk at her school, says Cathy Markey. Ms. Markey had given the talk for ThinkFirst, a nationwide program created to help young people reduce their risk of preventable injury. Ms. Markey, a nurse, had worked for many years in hospital emergency departments. She often took care of badly hurt patients who had been in serious accidents. She recalls one woman who had suffered a brain injury in a car crash. She was a passenger and was not wearing a seatbelt. 16