Mother gives grave warning after daughter loses leg
A mother is urging parents to think again before they let their children near and around adult equipment after her own daughter lost her leg in a horrific lawnmower accident in August.
Mum Sarah Reardon said her three-year-old daughter Abigail Reardon, is dealing with her new circumstances “far better than all the adults in her life” after she was reversed over by the mower in Franklin, Massachusetts.
The horrifying accident took place on August 22 and resulted in extensive damage to Abigail’s left foot and leg.
It left her needing an amputation from her mid-calf.
Ms Reardon said the accident happened quickly.
“She was out playing and the lawnmower was put into reverse and she was there,” the heartbroken mother told Boston 25 News.
The driver of the ride-on mower has not been identified because what happened was an accident, she said.
Abigail spent 16 days at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.
The little girl has undergone five surgeries and her mother said more surgeries are likely to come.
Ms Reardon aid she had an “amazing, determined, resilient little spirit”.
“Abby lost her left foot and leg up to the middle of her calf, endured plastic reconstructive surgery, has significant soft tissue injuries to recover from, and is fighting bacterial and fungal infections from her wounds,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Her mum also said she faces ongoing issues, including requiring medications, and “will need many prosthetic leg fittings over the course of the next 15+ years, or until she’s done growing”.
“As the bones in her amputated leg grow, it’s likely the skin won’t stretch fast enough to keep up, so she’s expected to go through many procedures to ‘shorten the bone’ as she grows.”
The mum said the accident was also witnessed by Abigail’s older sister Alexa.
She has also expressed she wants said Alexa to begin counselling to help her understand the accident.
Ms Reardon said she wants parents to be aware of the dangers of ride-on mowers.
“They’re obviously very dangerous machines,” she said.
“I’ve learned way more statistics than I wanted to about what happens to over 9000 children a year.”
Ms Reardon was citing statistics from the American Academy of Paediatrics.
AAoP advises children be kept indoors while ride-on mowers are in use.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Abigail’s family pay for medical costs.