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SALT LAKE CITY — It has been five years since Michelle Krainich lost her son, but the memories she has of little James are as clear to her as ever.
"He was so happy, and he was my little shadow," Michelle says. "He was my little helper. He and I, we loved to make cookies."
Window screens are designed to pop out easily in case of fire.
But on April 20, 2006 her world was turned upside down. What started out as a bright, warm spring day ended in tragedy.
"I heard a popping sound, and I looked over my shoulder and all I saw were his heels as he fell," Michelle recalled.
She rushed downstairs to his side. James suffered major head trauma.
"He smirked just a little bit, and I knew that he knew I was there. And that was the last interaction I had with him," Michelle said.
Surgeons tried to save James, but he passed away.
Falls are the No. 1 cause of child hospital admissions in the U.S. -Primary Children's Medical Center
"I wish I would have had one more chance to hold him in my arms and cradle him one more time," Michelle said. "I didn't have that opportunity, and that was really hard."
Now the Krainiches want to warn other parents of the dangers in every home.
"I would just tell everybody to be mindful of the dangers this time of year, because we're all starting to open our windows," said Joe Krainich.
The Krainiches now work on charities to help other families. This month, Michelle will run in her first triathlon to honor what would have been James' seventh birthday
For more information on how you can keep your kids safe by making sure your windows are secure, click on the "Stats and safety tips" video clip above.
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Written by KSL News producer Ashley Kewish with contributions from Nadine Wimmer
