TULSA, Okla. — The grandmother of a 12-year-old girl who was seriously injured after falling off a hayride near Grove said her granddaughter has a long road to recovery.
Vinalee Follmuth turned 12 last Wednesday. Her grandmother, Patti Wofford, said she got Follmuth a giraffe onesie for her birthday because she loves giraffes. Follmuth also loves the outdoors and arts and crafts.
“She’s just very outgoing personality, full of smiles all the time,” she said.
On Saturday night, Follmuth was at a big family Halloween party at a farm east of Grove. Around 7:00 p.m., she was on a hayride with a tractor pulling two trailers when tragedy struck.
“She was on the back of the first trailer and we hit a bump and she went. It was just enough that it sent her over back. She went between both trailers and it drug her a little bit underneath and both axels of the second trailer went over her,” said Wofford.
Wofford said they managed to lift the trailer up, pull Follmuth out and hold her while they rushed her to Saint Francis in Tulsa.
“It was one of those things, it was just a freak accident,” said Wofford.
Follmuth had emergency surgery around midnight on Saturday and then a second round of surgeries on Tuesday afternoon.
“Here I am looking at my granddaughter, laying in that bed with a breathing tube in, and she’s vaguely in and out, and you just can’t believe that this is happening, and I’m watching what my daughters going through and that breaks my heart because I know that’s hard for her, that’s her daughter, but as grandma I think this is my daughter, this is my granddaughter, this can’t be happening,” Wofford said.
Wofford said Follmuth has severe injuries to the right side of her head and ear. She has has injuries to her back and upper shoulder.
“Very heartbreaking, because like I say, you never want to see your child, your grandchild, any child, go through this,” Wofford said.
Follmuth’s family is at her bedside and have set up a GoFundMe to help with travel and medical expenses.
“They said her prognosis is good, but she’s in for a long recovery and several surgeries to repair her,” said Wofford.
Wofford said they have long road ahead.
“How long it’ll affect her we don’t know, but I know it’s a long road ahead,” she said.
Wofford said the Green Country community has been amazing. She said her family has received overwhelming support and messages from people wanting to help and offering prayers and support.
She said she can’t thank everyone enough.
“Prayers, keep her in your prayers because right now anything will help just to get us through this,” Wofford said.
“Keep lifting her up in your prayers and I do want to thank everybody who has reached out to us because like I said the response has been absolutely overwhelming,” Wofford also said.
The GoFundMe link can be found here.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PQ4MQJLV2VBLZDLOYDE2BXVW4Q.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3PTZBNTNRBEOBARHEQ733JOZTU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/ZV7VFGMJVJHGBLXJJWO4MZEA2Y.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/FXM7MZYC2BCE5AWVRJH553TRDU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XAE6U3M7RBD5LIMVHOXJA2JLBY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WFH5DIWB2FHPXOD6LHBMVBQYUA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/L7KPENZ54VEZDHPSGFBYNLBBTM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/IYCRLU2VARBFHABZDQ3WDIROVE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DP7OC3EYXFC3JE4ECXDNFF4A3I.png)
:quality(70):focal(621x272:631x282)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/45LWNVGR4ZDTVBWO4FIPHTQUHY.png)
©2022 Cox Media Group