A 6-year-old girl remains hospitalized in Virginia after her feet were severed in a “tragic accident” last month, according to loved ones.
Aubrey Scaletta “was playing with a ratchet strap” while riding in a pickup truck on May 17 when the incident occurred, according to anews releasefrom the Virginia State Police Association (VSPA).
As she did so, one end of the strap flew out the window and got wrapped around the drive shaft. “Aubrey was almost pulled out of the window and the tightening strap severed her feet,” the VSPA said.
The injured girl was transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery for six hours “to repair her amputated feet.”
“The injuries are horrible and painful for all involved,” the VSPA said. “This is going to be a long process requiring long-term medical treatment and rehabilitation.”
Go Fund Me
Aubrey is now in the pediatric unit and “will likely be in the hospital for a while,” according to aGoFundMe campaignset up to support her family.
“Aubrey is our little miracle,” mom Lauren Scaletta wrote in an update on Wednesday. “She has proven to be the strongest one of us during all her trials the past two weeks. She is going to do amazing things and this will be a bump in her road that made her tougher.”
Aubrey Scaletta.Go Fund Me
Aubrey will undergo about 10 to 15 surgeries in the next few months, according to her family’s GoFundMe page. She was taken off a ventilator a week after her accident and as of Wednesday, has started trying to eat small bites of solid food.
The 6-year-old is also expected to undergo surgery on her legs for skin grafts.
As for her feet, the VSPA told localNBC affiliate WSLSthat they “seem to be receiving good blood flow after being reattached.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Though the Scaletta family is looking at “a very long, winding road” to recovery, the little girl “has already gotten a fan club here at the hospital with her dancing and smiles,” Lauren wrote on May 22.
Additionally, the VSPA has started an emergency relief fund to support Aubrey and her family.
Lauren and her husband Daniel are thankful for the “outpouring of love and support” their family has received, saying it’s “proven to be a great medicine.”
“Aubrey is one tough cookie and we are following her lead as best we can,” she wrote on the fundraising page. “My princess monster is such a warrior.”
source: people.com
