It was following the loss of her son that Janet McGee says she found a new purpose in helping others facing similar tragedies.
McGee’s son, Ted, was a bubbly and happy youngster who was six weeks shy of celebrating his second birthday. It was Valentine’s Day of 2016 when she put him down for a nap. She checked on him a short time later only to find him critically injured, lying under a dresser that had fallen on top of him. His face was purple. Her 11-year-old son called 911 to request emergency assistance while she performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
Ted died four hours after arriving at the hospital.
McGee barely remembers driving home after being told her son did not survive, or the next few days. It wasn’t until a friend said she had read about other children who had died in similar accidents. Several lawsuits had been filed against Sweden-based retailer Ikea following deaths that had been attributed to a dresser the company manufactured tipping over and falling on young children who sustained catastrophic injuries.
Ikea and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) had earlier announced a repair option that was offered to those who had purchased the dresser model which included a free wall-anchoring kit. The company estimated it had previously sold close to 29 million dressers of that model. Many owners of the unit, including McGee, were not aware of the tipping danger or the anchoring kit that was offered to buyers.
The McGees enlisted the help of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who urged federal officials to ban sales of the unit, asked for a recall of the dressers and introduced legislation requesting greater stability and safety standards be mandated. Ikea agreed to stop selling the dresser and issued a recall on all units sold in the past.
It was in 2023 that the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act was signed into law and now requires dressers and clothing storage units to meet mandatory stability standards. All units sold today must come with effective tip-over restraint kits and warning labels highlighting tip-over hazards.
Her mission to improve safety standards continued. McGee was instrumental in establishing “Parents Against Tipovers,” a nonprofit organization established to increase the awareness and prevention of TV and furniture tip-over injuries and deaths. Organizers continue to push for better safety standards, have met with furniture manufacturers throughout the country and have lobbied agencies charged with establishing and enforcing safety standards.
“Tip-overs were happening all of the time, and many children have died or been injured,” McGee said, adding that Ikea leaders were a huge help in creating more awareness about the issue and getting the STURDY Act passed. “I really respect Ikea for the work they did in helping us. It was a collaborative, bipartisan effort. It has made a difference.”
Being a visible part of the nonprofit’s efforts provided McGee with new focus. She had worked as a mortician in her earlier years, but went back to school in later years to earn a master’s degree in business administration which eventually led to a career in banking. Another career pivot brought her back into teaching the business end of mortuary science.
It was in the past year, however, that she believes she has found what she was searching for since her son passed away more than a decade ago.
“We’re always trying to chase what society is telling us is important,” McGee said. “We, as a society, don’t know how to grieve. I saw it working in the mortuary science field. None of us are taught how to grieve when we lose a loved one.”
She acknowledged that it’s taken time for her to find her niche that incorporates her professional work skills and passion for children’s safety.
After working on the business plan for more than a year, McGee just last week opened the doors to Lifted Wellness and Cafe, located off of Boudin Street and Highway 13 in Prior Lake. She says the business name is actually a play on the words “Life of Ted” that pays tribute to her son.
Her goal was to create a mission-driven company that offers a safe space where people can heal together. In addition to traditional yoga and Pilates classes, the facility has a halotherapy salt cave and offers cold plunge therapy and guided grief sessions.
Or, it can simply serve as a place for friends to gather for a cup of coffee and catch-up time. The business is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I’ve learned in the past 10 years since Ted passed that we need to show each other grace,” McGee said. “None of us are taught how to grieve. Death is the greatest teacher, and it teaches us how to live. Ted’s death caused me to wake up and lead in a job that has purpose while helping others.”
