I love summer when the windows are open, the kids are running around outside, and the steady hum of lawn mowers can be heard no matter the day or time. But that picturesque combination can turn terrifying in a heartbeat, as it did last week when a toddler in Washington was severely injured after being run over by a riding lawn mower.
Details on what exactly happened are murky, but somehow while 2-year-old Juliette Nau was with her father, she got too close to the blades of the powerful machine, and the horrifying accident happened. Her mother, a nurse with whom she usually lives, told KXLY just how serious the injuries are. "The toes on her left foot are all gone, except for the baby toe, and I think there's some damage to the heel there," she said.
Juliette has already been through two surgeries and will be in the hospital for months. It's not known if she'll be able to walk again, but they are holding out hope.
Sadly, Juliette isn't the only child who has been harmed by a lawn mower. Last month 10-year-old Jeremy Klingbeil of Virginia lost his leg after a lawn mower accident. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that about 17,000 children are sent to the emergency room each year because of lawn mower accidents. That's way too many for something that can be easily avoided when precautions are taken.
The organization offers a comprehensive list of safety tips for lawn mowers that's definitely worth a read for all parents and those who supervise children. It includes things like:
- Never allow children to ride as passengers on ride-on lawn mowers or garden tractors.
- Children should be at least 12 years of age to operate a walk-behind power mower or hand mower safely; 16 years of age to operate a riding lawn mower safely.
- Remain aware of where children are and do not allow them near the area where you are working. Children tend to be attracted to mowers in use.
As for Juliette, hopefully, she'll make a full recovery. Her mother, Lesley Johnson, who raises her alone, now faces daunting medical bills, and is seeking donations to help cover her mortgage and other expenses while she stays by her side. Best wishes to them.
Has your child ever been injured by a lawn mower?
Image via somegeekintn/Flickr
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Comments 25
Why did her parents get close to the lawn mower?
I know that when I was two years-old I was afraid of everything. (I'd drop to the ground whenever an airplane was flying over. We lived close to the airport.)
Funny how this is just a "horrifying accident", but if she's accidentally had her toes shot off, this blogger would've climbed on the nearest anti-gun soapbox and written about "the obvious dangers" and "foreseeable outcomes" and "what more proof do we need?".
Where's the call to ban riding mowers? Who really needs a riding mower, when push mowers are capable of the same job and aren't as dangerous? WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE????!!?!!!?!???!!!! 17,000 victims annually!!!!!!
Riding lawn mowers are NOT designed to take passengers, period. Never mind children, NO ONE should ride as a passenger on a riding lawn mower.
I was run over by a riding mower when I was 8 years old. I feel for this family and understand the long road they have ahead of them. I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
This was not an accident, it was negligence. There was no reason the child needed to be that close to the lawn mower. Why wasn't she inside? When I was a kid, that was the steadfast rule. When my father was outside mowing the lawn--no matter which kind of machine he was using--us kids stayed inside. He didn't want to take any chances and he didn't want any distractions. Sure, I'm sure it drove our mother nuts to have all of us inside at once for an hour while he cut the grass, but at least we all have all our toes.
17,000 children sent to the ER for lawn mower accidents each year? Let's see..that's at least 25,000 parents who don't have enough brains to know to keep their kids in the house while the lawn is being mowed? I thought this was common sense. Because, you know- sharp blades, running over rocks and turning them into projectiles, running over kids, etc... Is it just me, or are people actually getting stupider?
@Rightside....EXACTLY!!!!
@Countrygirl....Um, did you mean to write "stupider"?? LMAO
I agree, why was this child allowed outside? 17,000 children sent to the hospital? That is a whole lot of dumb people for letting kids outside while mowing a lawn! Do they understand that if you run over anything, it becomes a very dangerous projectile? Idiots! I feel so bad for this child :( and I don't want to hear about the parents who say...well, I need to watch my kid. I am sorry, but let the grass grow then.
This is sad and I cannot comment on how this happened because, well, i dont know...but babies, toddlers and young children should be indoors when a lawn is being mowed, period. They should not be allowed to ride on them until they are old enough to operate one. I hope that this story can help other families take caution when someone is operating dangerous machinery