My daughter, 7, lost her FOOT in a horrific accident, she was just playing like any little girl, I’m racked with guilt
A SCHOOLGIRL’s foot was so badly chopped up when she slipped under her dad’s ride-on lawn mower that she was forced to have it amputated.
Jodie Sawyers was out shopping at the mall in July last year when she received a phone call to say her seven-year-old daughter Ashtynn had been involved in a horrific freak accident.
The 32-year-old rushed to her local hospital to find Ashtynn with extensive injuries to her right foot.
The little one had been playing outside in a paddling pool with her three siblings when she decided to run over to her dad Wes Sawyers, who was cutting the front yard with a ride-on lawn mower.
Wet from playing in the water, Ashtynn slipped while sprinting towards her dad and fell right under the lawn mower blade.
Horrified, Wes immediately scooped up his daughter from beneath the blades before rushing her to their nearest hospital.
Despite multiple surgeries to try and save Ashtynn’s right foot, doctors chose to amputate due to the extensive nature of her injuries.
Mum-of-four Jodie described the incident as every parents’ worst nightmare and is raising awareness of the dangers of lawn mowers around children.
Jodie, who lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US, said: “I was at the mall getting my nails done and my husband decided to mow the lawn. The children were out playing in the front yard in our kids’ pool.
“Wes was mowing the side of the lawn when Ashtynn decided to run over to her dad. She slipped and fell right under the lawn mower blade. She was only under there for a second.
“He grabbed her and kind of flung her so her injuries wouldn’t get any worse. He was trying to stop her from getting hurt any more.
“I got a phone call while I was at the mall to say there’d been an accident and to meet us at the hospital but everything’s going to be okay.”
Ashtynn remained in hospital for six-weeks while doctors attempted to save her foot.
However, medics ultimately decided to amputate from the ankle down after multiple failed surgeries.
Jodie, who works in the family business, said: “The blade had completely chopped up the bottom of her right foot. The top looked pretty normal but it was the heel and bottom that was torn up.
“They tried to save her foot. They said it was saveable at first that’s why she had so many surgeries and was in the hospital for so long but ultimately they couldn’t save it.
“They don’t know why the surgery didn’t work. The skin flap surgery wouldn’t take, they took an artery from her left leg and attached it to the bottom of her foot.
“She asked if she was going to die, which was hard. It was horrible to see. You never want anything like this to happen to your child.”
Ashtynn, who is now eight, was discharged from hospital in a wheelchair before having a prosthetic foot fitted.
MOST COMMON ACCIDENTS AT HOME
1. Grazed knee
2. Bruised knee
3. Bump to the head
4. Cut to the finger
5. Grazed arm
6. Bruised arm
7. Cut to the lip
8. Scratches
9. Getting stung
10. Sprained ankle
Jodie said her daughter has fully adapted to her new-normal – and now wants to raise awareness of the dangers of lawn mowers.
Jodie said: “We were worried about how she would adapt to life with one foot and how other people would treat her.
“But she’s adapted to life great. She runs around everywhere. Her injury doesn’t slow her down in any way. Everyone treats her wonderfully.
“Wes definitely felt guilty after and struggled to deal with it. We’re just glad the injuries weren’t worse.
“I was actually paranoid around lawn mowers before this. I never thought something like this would happen with them just playing in the yard.
“One of our friends mows our lawn now and the kids all have to stay inside when it’s out. It’s made us a lot more nervous.
“I always tell other parents to be careful. You always think it won’t happen to you. We feel so grateful it wasn’t worse – we were scared we were going to lose her.”