6-Year-Old Girl Dead After 'Freak Accident' Involving Her Brother's Badminton Racket

A six-year-old girl died after her brother’s badminton racket broke and a piece of it hit her in the skull.

New Jersey native Lucy Morgan was on a family vacation in Maine on June 1 when the incident — which her father later called a “freak accident” — occurred, according to a news release from Maine State Police.

Lucy was playing outside with her siblings, including a 10-year-old brother whose racket hit her, when she suffered the “unintentional” and ultimately fatal injury, police said.

According to Lucy’s father, Jesse Morgan, his family of six — he, his wife Bethany and their children: Silas, Shiloh, Lucy and Atticus — were enjoying a “beautiful” morning at their lake cabin on the last day of their vacation when the incident happened, he wrote is on his blog New Creation Living.

“We had a quick lunch by the lake and the kids decided to try badminton in the yard,” he wrote. “Bethany and I were relaxing in the back when we heard screaming.”

Authorities later learned that “the aluminum handle of the badminton racket had separated from the wooden handle, causing the handle to strike the girl in the head, puncturing her skull,” according to the press release.

First responders arrived on the scene in Limerick, Maine around 12:00 p.m. local time and transported the 6-year-old to Sanford Medical Center. Then she went to Portland the second time.

Lucy Morgan.

The Morgan family

According to Jesse, Lucy “went straight to the operating room where they removed part of her skull to relieve pressure and address her injury.”

“She coded, they brought her back and completed the operation,” he wrote on June 2. “We were told at PICU that there is a very small chance that he will recover. She is currently intubated, has no brain function but occasionally [breathes] on its own. We pray for a miracle, but our hearts ache with an incomprehensible pain.”

At the time of the announcement, Jesse asked for prayers for Lucy’s full recovery. “We’re holding on,” he wrote, “but we can’t imagine life without Lucy-goose.”

Badminton racket.

Getty

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On June 4, a New Jersey pastor posted another update, writing, “There is a very good chance she will die and meet Jesus within 24 hours.”

“If there’s any good news in this, it’s that she hasn’t felt any pain in the past few days,” he added.

Jesse also used the blog post to share an update on the rest of the Morgan family. “My poor wife is barely eating (we have some Chick-Fil-A in her),” he wrote. “We sleep the best we can, and our children do the best they can.”

The next day Lucy died from her injuries, both the police and her father.

Green Pond Bible Chapel, where Jesse is the pastor of worship and discipleship, will hold a funeral service for Lucy on June 15. It will also be streamed live on the church website.

A GoFundMe page for the family had raised more than $100,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

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Source: HIS Education