Jan 15, 2020 Devon Hulsey (14 years old) was in a high school gym as a middle schooler. He was instructed to do mountain climbers in-between two squat racks. One child was on the squat rack with 45 lbs on each side of the bar no collars mandated, no collars used and no collars available. What is a collar? A collar is used to hold the weights onto the bar and keep them from slipping off while working out. The child that was on the squat rack slipped and 45 lb weight nearly missed Devons head but regrettably was not able to miss his hand. Devon Hulsey immediately lost one finger and one was barley holding on. He was rushed to the hospital and they had to tell Devon his life was changed forever, as he would need the other finger amputated and neither of them could be saved. When asked why collars where not used at the school , Devons parents were told collars were not mandatory. Something so simple could have saved his fingers and could have potentially cost him his life not having been used. We are asking the state of Texas to mandate collars on weights when weightlifting with others. This tragic accident could have EASILY been prevented! Devon is faced with countless sleepless nights, anxiety and learning his new life. Medical bills, prosthetics that are not covered.  He is no longer able to pursue his dream of joining the military. Schools in Texas are not held accountable for accidents such as this, unknown to many they are immune, they are not accountable for their actions. They don't have to pay for prosthetics, medical or anything else!! Make collars mandatory and hold Texas schools accountable for tragic accidents that hurt our children due to negligence. Please sign this petition. Make collars mandatory. If you are like Devons parents, you may assume they are already being used. Ask your child! Educate! Please please Ask questions! Do NOT let this or something far more tragic happen to another child! 

DEVONs WORDs:

“This accident happened to me and i know it needs to be changed. I am extremely blessed that it wasn’t any worse than what happened, but it could’ve been easily avoided. It has changed my life in a huge way, but it didn’t change me as a person. It has changed how i have to workout in athletics for a little bit, but that of course hasn’t stopped me. I would truly be heart broken if this happened to anybody else. It’s a horrible experience, the worst experience of my life. I had to relearn how to use my hand, i’m still learning. There is so much pain that comes from this accident, and nobody deserves to go through it.”