Red. That was all I saw. Dripping from my ankle, to my foot, and falling to the ground.

It was the middle of August and I was 6 years old. Both of my parents were out of town, so I was at my grandparent’s house. My brother was on the big green riding lawnmower and my great grandma was behind, holding the seat down (because he was only seven and didn’t weigh enough). I walked up and asked if I could ride next. She said “Yes, but go back to the porch so you don’t get hurt!” I turned around to walk back, and slipped on the “dewy wet” grass. I found myself under the large roaring monster! I remember yelling and hitting my great grandma’s leg until she noticed, and my brother jumped off. She practically threw the lawnmower across the yard to save my leg from any damage too. My grandparents rushed outside, with towels trying to stop the blood. I blacked out.

The next thing I remember, there was a paramedic carrying me to the EMS, and once I got in, they gave me a doll I named Sally. Once we arrived at the hospital, they kept rinsing my foot over and over with water. It took a long time to get the blood to stop, but once it did everyone was relieved! The doctors decided it was very serious, and I was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, in Little Rock. I fell asleep on the way there, from all of the medicine. My mom and dad met me in Little Rock, and I felt safer knowing that they were there too.

I had to stay in the hospital for 4 ½ weeks. I had over four plastic surgeries, and one skin graph. They took skin from my thigh, and replaced the missing skin on my foot with it. Now, when I tan, the skin from my thigh tans darker and faster than the rest of my foot. I am missing one toe, and half of two others. I left with a full leg cast, in a wheelchair. As I got better, my cast was replaced with a smaller one. Eventually, I was out of the wheelchair. Not much longer after that, the cast was gone and I had to learn how to hold my balance again. I am terrified of lawnmowers to this day, and hate the sound of them. The doctors said that if I ever tried to remember the whole experience, my mind would go into shock. I lost Sally after about three years. My foot will never be the same again, but at least I can walk(: