I just got off the phone with Tammy Haby, who I interviewed for this story about the safety record of Kiddie Park. Haby’s son, Holden, had his teeth knocked out in a roller coaster accident at the old park.
“Thank you for bringing this all to light and sharing it with everybody,” Tammy said. “We appreciate it.”
Express-News photographer Helen Montoya and I visited the Haby family and I also interviewed Tammy several times over the phone. The family was willing to share their story because it was a very scary incident and they didn’t want the same thing to happen to others.
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Tammy admitted she had some initial reservations talking with a reporter when I first called their house.
“Celebrities, they’re always saying, ‘Well, they took my words out of context.'” Tammy said of the media. So it was nice to hear that the experience was positive for both her and Holden, who was excited to see his picture on the front page of the newspaper.
“It was very professional, and I just really appreciate that,” said Tammy, who said she was happy to let me quote her on my blog.
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There was a time when the memories of the accident were so raw that they couldn’t talk about it. Today, they felt comfortable sharing their story. And I think this is why the media can play such an important role in people’s lives. The reason why we come knocking on people’s doors is because these stories matter.
So thanks, Tammy and Holden, for letting me share your story.
