Crusading Mother Describes Pain Helmets Can Prevent : Safety: Despite son’s ‘miraculous’ recovery after bicycle crash, ‘he’ll never be the same,’ she says. The Santa Ana woman has pushed tirelessly for law that takes effect Jan. 1.

On the afternoon of March 24, 1992, Diane McCain and her four children, including 9-year-old Joel, discussed the fact that the bicycle helmets they had ordered had not yet arrived at the store.

Within hours, Joel was struck on his bicycle by a speeding car a block from the McCain home in Santa Ana. He was not wearing a helmet.

What followed not only changed the McCain family, it also ultimately helped improve California’s child safety laws.

Joel was in a coma for two weeks, and his lengthy recovery exacted a heavy cost in suffering, his mother recalled Tuesday.

“The only broken bone (he sustained) was his skull,” McCain said. If he had been wearing a helmet, she said, “I’m sure (the impact) would have been less severe.”

“When they took him to the hospital that night, they gave him a less than 5% chance to survive,” McCain said. But within three weeks, Joel had made a “miraculous” recovery, she said.

Since then, Joel has undergone extensive therapy and is back at school. His sister, Joanne, 14, and brother, Patrick, 8, have helped him cope, McCain said.

But things have changed in school, where Joel once brought home excellent grades. The youngster, who suffered some impairment to his brain, is struggling.

“He will never be the same,” said McCain, who told the family’s story to about 30 children who attended a press conference here Tuesday at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where officials explained the new child safety helmet law that takes effect Jan. 1.

The law was passed thanks to people like McCain, who has spent the past year or so traversing the state, urging parents and school administrators and teachers to promote the use of the helmets among schoolchildren.

Her efforts and those of others resulted in the passage of the new law, which was signed by Gov. Pete Wilson this fall. McCain, who said she is very proud of her children, will take no accolades for her efforts.

“I didn’t lead any movement or did anything but speak about what happened” to Joel, she said.

While speaking to the children at CHOC, all of whom got helmets from the hospital, McCain almost broke down as she said: “I wanted to reach as many people as I could with my message. I’m so happy (the law) passed.”

However, she warned, “this helmet is not going to protect you of everything. You have to be aware of your surroundings. (But) the helmet sure does help.”