THE family of a toddler left brain damaged after accidentally hanging herself have spoken of the devastation they feel.

Three-year-old Emily Warner was discovered by her father Jamie, 29, in her bedroom hanging from a window blind cord at the family’s home.

Despite the devastating impact the accident has had on the family, the Warners have spoken publicly about the tragedy to prevent an accident like this happening to others.

Emily’s mother, Tracy, said: “We put Emily to bed early with her brother, James who had been playing up.

“James was kicking the wall so my husband went upstairs to check on Emily and found her hanging in the blinds. What she had done was climb up on to the window sill and hang in the blinds.

“He came running down the stairs with her and started performing CPR.”

While Jamie, who works at Huntsman Advanced Materials in Duxford, tried to save his daughter’s life his wife rushed over the road from their home in Ackroyd Road, Royston, to get her brother-in-law who is a trained first aider.

The emergency services arrived and rushed the toddler to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.

She was in intensive care for a week and is still in hospital. She will undergo an operation today (Thursday) to move a feeding tube.

Due to the hanging, Emily suffered hypoxia brain injury – caused by lack of oxygen to the brain.

“She’s brain damaged and cannot walk, talk or eat at the moment,” her mother said. “They’re not sure what she’s going to be able to do, she’s making slow improvements. She can move her head now and focus on us.

“She’s aware of what’s going on but we’re not sure what she’s going to be able to do. It has devastated everyone who knows Emily our lives have changed completely”

Grandmother Valerie Ball added: “You can’t describe it. The family is just devastated. When you wake up and go to sleep the first thing is Emily on your mind – it’s there all the time.

“They’re coping but how they’re coping I don’t know, I just know it has shattered their family and crushed them.”

Emily will be moved to Tadworth Court Children’s Hospital in Surrey for disabled children.

A campaign, The Make it Safe Campaign, has been launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to make European-wide changes to existing products to improve safety standards that could save lives.

The body is working with the British Blind and Shutter Association and the Government’s department for Business, Innovation and Skills to carry out the changes.

“I just want people to check these blinds and make sure they’re all completely safe,” said Tracy.

INFORMATION: To find out more about the campaign visit www.rospa.com/about/currentcampaigns/blindcords