Lucy Morgan, six, died on Wednesday, four days after the freak accident at the end of what was otherwise an idyllic vacation (Picture: New Creation Living)
A family’s lakeside holiday turned to tragedy when a shard of badminton racket splintered and pierced a little girl’s skull while she played with her 10-year-old brother.
Lucy Morgan, six, died on Wednesday, four days after the freak accident at the end of what was otherwise an idyllic vacation at a rented cottage in Limerick, Maine.
Her family gathered around her bedside when it became clear her hopes of survival were minimal and sang her favourite hymn before she was declared brain dead in the early hours.
Maine State Police said it was ‘a sad, tragic situation’, adding: ‘Our hearts break for the family.’
The horror unfolded on Saturday as the family prepared to head back home to Stockholm, New Jersey, after a fun-filled week.
Lucy’s dad Jesse Morgan, a pastor, chronicled her fight for life over the following days on his church blog, writing: ‘This morning was beautiful just like every other morning had been this week.
‘We had an amazing lake cottage in Maine and were simply enjoying life together on our last full day here.
‘We were eating a quick lunch by the lake and the kids decided to try badminton in the front yard. Bethany and I were relaxing in the back when we heard screaming.
‘Due to a freak accident with a racquet that broke on a downward swing, a sharp piece had entered Lucy’s skull while she was sitting on the sideline and caused catastrophic injury.’
Lucy’s family gathered around her bedside when it became clear her hopes of survival were minimal (Picture: New Creation Living)
The aluminium shaft broke away from the wooden racquet handle and struck the youngster in the head, piercing her skull and causing ‘extremely catastrophic’ injuries.
She was rushed to a local children’s hospital before being airlifted to Portland where surgeons removed part of her skull to relieve pressure.
Lucy was resuscitated after going into cardiac arrest on the operating table but the family was warned that her chances of recovery were slim.
The following morning the shattered parents had to break the devastating news to their other three children.
‘Walking into the hospital room that the staff generously gave us were three little humans sleeping soundly,’ Jesse wrote.
Jesse documented his daughter’s fight for live in a blog (Picture: New Creation Living)
‘It hit us so hard at that moment that there were only three not four, and the incompleteness felt so profound as we watched them sleep.
‘We broke the news as gently as we could, but that is a conversation you never want to have with a four-year-old, eight-year-old, and 10-year-old.
‘Shiloh broke down immediately. She and Lucy are best friends being the middle girls. She couldn’t imagine sleeping alone in her room.
‘AJ was slow to comprehend and just wanted to be held, then got into his typical four-year-old machine gun questioning style.
‘Silas tried to hold it in as the tough guy, but then burst out crying “I don’t want to be a family of five”.’
Lucy was rushed to a local children’s hospital before being airlifted to Portland where surgeons removed part of her skull (Picture: New Creation Living)
By Monday it became clear the end was near and Jesse wrote in Tuesday’s entry that ‘it was almost certain that she had endured brain death’.
‘After significant thorough testing and even more repeated tests to be certain, brain death was declared 1:32am on June 5, and her heart stopped beating around 4am,’ he added.
‘Lucy was with Jesus.’
A GoFundMe.com fund to support the family has raised more than $98,000 (£77,000) from more than 900 donors.
Lucy’s funeral will take place on Saturday at 11am ET and will be live-streamed at http://www.greenpondbible.org.
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