An accident at the Lincoln County Fairground in Stanford caused an 8-year-old boy to nearly lose his leg.
Jalen Smith was at a church picnic with his family when they decided to get on a wagon for a hayride. Ashley Powell, Director of Stanford EMS said “The first call we received was that a hayride turned over and there were multiple children involved. Upon our crew’s arrival, we realized that it actually didn’t turn over, it had collided with a fence post at a gate.”
Jalen’s leg was badly injured when it became trapped between the wage and the fence. An individual at the picnic had medical training and was able to stop the bleeding before the paramedics arrived on the scene. It was ultimately determined that the accident broke both of the main bones in Jalen’s leg.
The little boy was flown to UK hospital and went in to surgery immediately. During his nearly three weeks in the hospital, he underwent four surgical operations, including a muscle transplant, nerve reconstruction and two skin grafts.
Jalen’s mother, Jacqueline, says the hardest part is seeing him in so much pain due to the severity of his injuries. She also says it’s awful for him because he loves playing sports and is rarely seen without a uniform or a ball.
When Jalen returned home from the hospital, he was greeted by over 50 people who were cheering and clapping for him. “You can tell he’s well loved, well loved,” said Jalen’s grandmother Nancy Smith.
We are happy to hear that Jalen is doing well and wish him a full and speedy recovery.