Phoenixville Toddler Continues To Recover After Being Run Over By Lawnmower
By David Spunt
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa., (CBS) -- A quick trip to the backyard to mow the lawn can be life changing, as a Phoenixville family tragically learned when their 3-year-old son almost died after being run over by a lawnmower.
Talan Wolstenholme was almost killed after a family member accidently ran over him with a tractor, while mowing the lawn in May. Wolstenholme ran out from behind the bushes and into the tractor's path.
"My first reaction was I thought he was dead," Elisha Wolstenholme said of her son.
Wolstenholme takes her son to therapy at Dupont Hospital in Wilmington. They make the trip from Phoenixville almost every day, and Talan is improving.
"It's a miracle," she told Eyewitness News.
The woman who saved Talan's life, Dr. Sudha Raman works at Phoenixville Hospital and was able to communicate with Dupont doctors through an iPad video conference. The program is called Telemedicine.
"They were watching me in the emergency room at Phoenixville hospital resuscitate this 3-year-old," Raman said.
Talan's story, unfortunately is common. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission more than 17,000 kids and teens are injured each year in similar accidents. That's almost 50 each day.
Wolstenholme wants to see more safety information available on the issue. She's already started a public awareness campaign, hoping for change.
"It will definitely happen. I won't stop until it does," he said.
Elisha Wolstenholme reached out to U.S. Congressman Ryan Costello to ask for his help to promote awareness. Costello released a statement expressing his willing to help raise awareness on the issue of lawnmower safety.
"We're all glad that this accident did not have a tragic outcome and that Talan is recovering well. While there is little that can be done on the federal level, we can all use this as an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of operating lawn tractors or other heavy machinery while children are around." Costello said.
