Admin: I just returned from a two-week 500-mile Boy Scout cycling trip from Milford, OH to Ripley, NY via the old underground railroad route. Everything went great with one exception. My son blacked out on one of the last days of riding. He basically hit the pavement head and knees first. His breathing was irregular so the group called 911. I got there at the same time the ambulance did. It was very scary! My son was disoriented and was not responding to anyone. His body, hands and legs were bent at awkward angles and he was in a great deal of pain. His breathing was irregular and he was moaning and bleeding. It was tough watching the paramedics strap him on a back board and put a neck brace on him. At the hospital the staff did a CAT scan plus a bunch of x-rays. They found nothing wrong. By the time we left the hospital my son was back to his old self. Once we got to camp that night we examined his helmet. It had a bad set of scratches on it from where he hit the pavement. If it weren't for that helmet, we would have either spent several additional days in that hospital or just one in the city morgue. This is the second time a helmet has saved one of my children from a far greater disaster. Whether you are on a motorcycle or bicycle, make sure and wear a helmet! - 6/30/08