Family Pushes For Mandatory Window Guards After Child's Tragic Death
BOSTON (CBS) - Even on the dreariest days, Zella Martin brightened everyone up, especially her father, Kyle. "She was the most beautiful little creature on this planet at least to me," said Kyle Martin.
That was for two years, two months and two days. Last October, the toddler fell out of a 4th floor apartment in Fitchburg where she lived with her mother.
"They're kids, they get into trouble, that's what they do. They're going to climb," said Kyle.
Zella's family says her father worried about the side sliding windows that were not child-proofed.
"Talking about the windows to everybody who listen," said Nancy Martin, Zella's grandmother. "If no one had a choice about having those window safety guards on there. This wouldn't happen. We wouldn't be here
Thursday, a bill named for Zella is being introduced at the state house. It's called the "Zella-Ray Martin Window Falls Prevention Act." If a child age 6 or under lives in the home, it requires landlords and homeowners to put window guards on the 3rd story and above.
State Representative Colleen Garry (D), Dracut, points out New York has a similar law. And, the safety measures can cost less than 20 dollars per window.
"They are very cheap. To think about the amount of money that you're spending to save a life, it really is minuscule," said Garry.
"He'll never know his sister. Nine-months old when she died," said Nancy Martin.
Zella's family never thought they would be in this spot.
"If this could help one person, and I never really understood it until what we've been going through, because that one person, that one child, could have been Zella who was saved, if this had been law," said Amie Martin, Zella'as aunt.
Preventing another tragedy is one way for Zella to live on.
"Beautiful girl, but we'll never see her again," said Kirby Martin, grandfather, as he held her photo.