A 6-year-old boy is left fighting for his life after a 12-inch piece of steel struck him in the back of his head.
Alex Hook suffered severe brain damage after a lawnmower threw a piece of metal and hit him in the head on September 10 behind Riverview Elementary School in Wisconsin.
His heartbroken mother, 49-year-old Caryn, said: “When I arrived at the hospital the emergency room team were prepping him for the scan.”
“He was already sedated and had several machines hooked up,” Caryn continued.
“I kept telling myself that I must be having a nightmare because that can’t be my beautiful boy.
“It feels like the hands of Father Time have stopped.
“Every day that goes by we thank the Lord that Alex is still with us and fighting for his life.”
According to reports, the mower ran over a piece of metal, believed to be 12 inches long and half an inch wide, at about 11:30 am. The metal projectile then struck Alex, who was knocked unconscious and started experiencing seizures.
“’I was in total shock but composed myself immediately and rushed to the school,” Caryn expressed.
“I had no idea the severity of his injury until I saw him on the ground bleeding from his head and convulsing. I really don’t know what prevented me from fainting.”
Alex was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Milwaukee where it was found that he has a fractured skull and a piece of metal lodged into his brain.
The first-grader was taken for emergency surgery to remove the biggest fragment and part of the skull to alleviate the pressure.
He remains in a medically induced coma as a bacterial infection result in a spike in his fever, putting pressure on his brain.
“The doctors said the first 72 hours were critical, but here we are a week later and he’s still in critical condition,” the mother-of-two said.
“While sitting vigil at his bedside, when possible, I read aloud the thousands of comments and prayers people are writing on the Facebook support page. I hope he can hear me, so he knows how many people love him and are praying for a complete recovery.”
“Don’t let a day go by without hugging and telling your children you love them – life can change in the blink of an eye,” she continued.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!