Fox News Flash top headlines for August 1
Fox News Flash top headlines for August 1 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com
A 9-year-old girl from Idaho had half her skull removed after her head was impaled by a piece of reinforcement bar when she fell out of a tree on Monday, reports say.
Shaylyn Bergeson was playing in the backyard of her north Rexburg home when she accidentally fell out of a tree and landed on a metal reinforcement rod that punctured the left side of her brain, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up on the family’s behalf.
RUSSIAN BOXER MAXIM DADASHEV, 28, DEAD AFTER SUFFERING BRAIN INJURIES IN FIRST LOSS, REPORTS SAY
She was initially taken to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center but was then airlifted to the Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, where doctors performed a life-saving surgery on the young girl after giving her family a grim prognosis of a 50 percent chance of survival.
Shaylyn’s mother, Jesi, told the East Idaho News that she had half of her skull removed to relieve the immense amount of pressure in her brain.
“She had a craniotomy and they removed half of her skull to relieve the pressure,” she said. “They found there is a lot of bleeding on the right side of her brain too. They gave a 50 percent chance that she wouldn’t survive the surgery and she pulled through but now we’re just watching and waiting to see what happens.”
Bergeson described her daughter as the “kindest, energetic and most beautiful little girl,” adding that her husband, Kurt, and 11-year-old son are relying on their faith that she will pull through her traumatic injuries. The mom said the family is appreciative of all the help Shaylyn is receiving.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We know they are doing everything they possibly can to give her a fighting chance,” she told the website. “She is so tough and is fighting so hard right now. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of our hearts. We love you all.”
Shaylyn's older sister, Briauna, died in 2016. Briauna had a rare chromosomal abnormality and spent the last three years of her life in hospice care.
"Sitting here this morning I am unable to sleep and the thoughts keep creeping into my head," Kurt Bergeson posted on the family's GoFundMe page, on Wednesday. "Why did this happen? What could I have done to stop this? Briauna is gone and now our beautiful selfless perfect Shaylyn is here and we are totally unable to understand why. The only explanations I can think of are that we are not meant to understand why at this time, only God understands. There is nothing that we did for this to happen and no way we could have seen something like this coming. Jess and I are truly totally heartbroken and no matter what we may never fully heal but I believe that our Heavenly Father must have very important plans for my girls."
His post also thanked the family's friends and relatives for helping them to grow their network of supporters.