Senior finds way to help community

This summer Kendall Costello stood in front of City Council with a powerpoint presentation, a worthy cause and a heavy heart. The 12 members of the council sat patiently before her, their eyes curious. It isn’t exactly common to hear from a high school student during the public comments portion of the Council’s meeting. But Costello had something of the utmost importance to propose: that Southlake’s helmet law ordinance be raised from 15 to 18.

Her reason? A boy she never knew. A boy who changed her life. A boy who was riding his bicycle when her older sister, Kaitlin, accidentally hit him with her car six months ago. Cole Malone, a sophomore at the time, died last April due to injuries sustained in the accident.

“This event deeply impacted Kendall and it didn’t surprise us that she wanted to address it some way,” Trina Costello, Kendall’s mother, said. “At first, we were a little concerned for our older daughter about this, but she is 100 percent in favor of Kendall working to turn this tragedy into something positive.”

Last June, Costello began dedicating her time to volunteering at a local ER clinic, researching the effects of head trauma, and preparing a proposal that she hoped would save lives. She found that while Southlake required everyone 15 and under to wear a helmet, Dallas and Fort Worth’s ordinances applied to everyone under 18.

“I looked into the incidents of head trauma, because it really was kind of a freak accident in the community,” Costello said. “I was like ‘okay well, I’m pretty sure this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.’ But, in reality, there’s a lot of events [like this] that happen.”

The U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that 15 to 17-year-olds are in fatal bicycle accidents at the same rate as 4 to 5-year-olds. According to David Spain, chief of trauma and critical care surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center, wearing a helmet can decrease risk of injury by 85 percent.

“This is fairly common – not just in Southlake, but in the metroplex – and I feel like people should be made aware of these incidents,” Costello said.

Costello visited Bicycle Inc, spent time at the fire department, and spoke to Police Chief Brandon in order to gain insight on what was currently being done for street safety. Bicycle Inc said they were promoting bike safety in Dallas and Fort Worth, but not Southlake. The fire department explained that they gave out free helmets to kids until their funds ran short. Costello knew it was truly time for change.

“My sister is still deeply impacted by [the accident],” Costello said. “I just had to do something to help her.”

Costello knows that she isn’t the only one affected by the tragedy. In late August, over 100 volunteers completed Cole’s planned Eagle Scout project in his memory. Boy Scouts, SASO, Carroll Clay Target Team, Girl Scouts, friends, parents and neighbors worked together to create a therapeutic riding sensory trail for disabled children at Haven’s Horses in Keller.

“It was really neat. I know the kids loved it and that Cole would have done a great job on it,” Cal Naughton, founder of the Clay Target Team, said. “To me, it felt great, because I knew that we were doing something he would have liked. It was sad because I knew he should have been there, but it was definitely a good form of closure.”

While friends and family were dedicating themselves to the project, Costello devoted herself to perfecting her proposal. When it came time for Costello’s five-minute presentation at City Hall, she was well-prepared and well-supported, even by the councilmen and councilwoman sitting before her.

“You had 12 people staring at you, but it wasn’t bad,” Costello said. “They were very encouraging. You know, they get a lot of different aspects for reports. And for me to come up there at my age asking for this particular, unique cause was something that kind of interested them.”

After giving her presentation, Costello was approached by Councilman Shahid Shafi, who offered to start a petition in order to gather community support for the ordinance. Costello, not being 18 or a registered voter, could not do this herself.

“As a trauma surgeon, I have taken care of many bicycle riders with head injuries,” Shafi said. “Medical research, including my own work, has shown that the use of helmets, can [often] prevent such tragedies. I found it inspiring to see Kendall taking on this immense responsibility.”

Shafi is coordinating with Chief Brandon, the fire department, and the rest of City Council to help establish Costello’s street safety campaign.

“It’s not just the helmet ordinance that I’m really pushing,” Costello said. “I’m also pushing street safety, because a helmet can only go so far. If kids obey the street signs, if they wear reflective clothing late at night, if they don’t take off the light reflectors… if they don’t ride recklessly… every little thing helps for making you safe.”

For Remi Petit, Costello’s friend and teammate, the proposal speaks more about Costello’s character than anything else.

“April was a really rough time for her and her family but they stuck together and worked through it,” Petit said. “I think it’s really inspiring that she’s taking a tragedy and trying to help her community.”

Though Costello – in the top 10 percent of the senior class, a varsity cheerleader, and hoping for an ivy-league college experience – is not exactly what you would call an ‘underachiever,’ the experience has changed her perspective of what she is capable.

“It’s weird to be at the forefront. I’m not really a follower, but I kind of go with the flow,” Costello said. “But having an initiative… being a leader… it’s really different. I really appreciate the perspective I’ve gained through going through with this proposal.”

City Council will officially vote on Costello’s proposal in November. She urges her classmates to get involved.

“I am going to ask anyone who wants to come and show support to do so,” Costello said. “It is going to raise the helmet ordinance from 15 to 18, so for anyone in the age group of 15 to 18, showing up and showing support will greatly help in terms of voting.”

If the Southlake ordinance gets passed, Costello hopes to expand it to the metroplex. Though the ordinance has come with difficulties, Costello is proud to have addressed it after the tragedy.

“I felt that I had the capability to make an impact and make a difference in the community,” Costello said. “And I felt like if I didn’t take it on, then I would’ve avoided having contributed the way that I should have.”