Holts Summit girl adjusts at home after lawn mower accident

Community support "a great distraction'

After a week and a half in the hospital, following a May 12
accident involving a riding lawn mower, Faith Rowell was
able to come home. However, after a week at home, she
will return to the hospital Monday for a fourth surgery.
After a week and a half in the hospital, following a May 12 accident involving a riding lawn mower, Faith Rowell was able to come home. However, after a week at home, she will return to the hospital Monday for a fourth surgery.

HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. - As Faith Rowell, 4, admired her family's vegetable garden outside of her Holts Summit home, her right leg, covered in a hot pink cast, hit the side of her wheelchair.

"Ouch," Faith said.

Her father, Todd Rowell, bent down on both knees and kissed the cast covering the bottom of his daughter's leg - where her foot used to be.

"All better?" he asked Faith.

Faith nodded again while saying, "Yes, daddy."

After about a week at home, Faith will return to the hospital Monday for a fourth surgery. She ran outside at a family member's home on May 12 and was accidentally run over by a riding lawn mower. Faith was transported to Capitol Regional Medical Center initially, then airlifted to the University of Missouri Hospital. She had multiple surgeries, during which her right foot and ankle were amputated. She spent a week and a half in the hospital following the accident.

Being back at home, Todd said, has been an adjustment for everyone. While Faith has gotten more comfortable, he added some days her pain medication wears out too soon and she feels a lot of pain.

"Moving is just a task," Todd said. "It's very painful for her."

He described the significant amount of support Faith has received from the community, family, friends and strangers as a much-needed distraction for their family.

"The support from everyone has been awesome," Todd said. "It's wonderful for her to feel the support and love. ... It's taking her mind off of the situation."

While Faith was still in the hospital, someone brought her a tomato plant. This spring, Faith has been fascinated by their family garden.

"She likes to see things grow," Todd said.

And last week, the Holts Summit Police Department and the first responders who attended to Faith after the accident brought her toys and checked in to see how she was doing during her first few days back home. A family friend made a wooden walking stick for Faith, someone else donated a wheelchair and a Holts Summit doctors' office contacted a lumber yard and obtained wood for a wheelchair ramp, which the Holts Summit Fire Department has volunteered to build at Todd's home.

Todd said while his family has not asked for others to donate money or send gifts, he is appreciative of the support. The gifts have helped Faith and their family remain positive, he said, and money donated through a couple GoFundMe accounts set up by family friends will help with medical bills.

Faith's injury will have to completely heal before she can be fitted for a prosthetic, Todd said. Doctors, he added, estimated it could take 4-6 months for his daughter's injury to heal enough for that next step.

Faith will have a fourth surgery on Monday that will add more skin grafts to a section of her knee that was also injured in the accident.

Through all of the surgeries and time in the hospital, Todd said Faith has been a good kid, resisting kicking or screaming. And on Thursday, Faith learned how to operate her wheelchair by herself.

Todd said he is hoping to take extended family medical leave from his job at the Fulton State Hospital for a few months to be at home more with Faith. He said until she fully heals, a daycare is out of the question. Todd works 12-hour shifts, which means there would still be a gap between his work schedule and the work schedule of Faith's mother, June, where a daycare or babysitter would be necessary.

He described the Fulton State Hospital staff as a tight knit group who offer a lot of support.

"You just don't now how people feel until something like this happens," Todd said of the support others have given.

Two GoFundMe accounts have been set up for those wishing to contributed funds to Faith's medical bills. One donor made a $1,000 deposit last week. There is also a bank account open at Central Bank for donations to the Rowell family. Donations can be made to that account at any Central Bank branch. Checks should be made payable to the Faith Mary Elizabeth Rowell benefit fund.