'Freak accident' has Airdrie girl in medically-induced coma, family devastated

An 11-year-old Airdrie girl remains in a medically-induced coma days after a tree her brother was cutting for firewood fell on her, and her uncle says the family is traumatized.

Emily Power had joined her father and two siblings in the bush near the village of Waiparous on Monday, Steve Power told CBC News Friday.

• Girl in life-threatening condition after tree falls on her

He said she and her sister were in a truck while Emily's brother cutfirewood.

"Emily ran out at the last moment and it was just a freak accident, she ran underneath the tree as it was falling. She got crushed on the head. Her sister was with her and she just missed it," Power said.

The girl's injuries were significant, he said.

"She has a major skull fracture, a brain injury from the impact and she has six broken vertebrae in her back, an injured spleen, a damaged lung. Broken ankle, major chest wound. Eye socket is broken, I think.It was a pretty sizeable tree."

Branch went 'through her chest'

Power said a branch went "through her chest" causing internal injuries.

"Immediately after the accident, she was unconscious, not breathing and turning blue. Her brother picked her up and ran her over to the vehicle while her dad called EMS. She was not breathing for awhile, maybe a couple of minutes. Eventually on her own she vomited and started to breathe again on her own," Power said.

The family was able to call for help, despite intermittent cell service in the area, and met the ambulance at Highway 40 and Pears Road, EMS said in a release Monday.

Paramedics worked to stabilize the girl for about 15 minutes until STARS Air Ambulance transported her to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, heruncle said.

Upgraded to stable condition

"She is still in a medically-induced coma right now and on a breathing apparatus," Power said Friday.

"She has been upgraded from critical to stable condition she has moved her legs so that is a good sign so they don't think she is going to be paralyzed."

He said the family, including Emily's brother and sister, have been shaken by witnessing the incident.

"Their other kids are pretty traumatized by it," he said.

No source of income

Power said Emily's parents do not have salaried positions and as a result don't have paid leave, although they have been by the girl's bedside "day and night."

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign was set up Wednesday by a relative in New Brunswick and has already raised more than half of the $8,000 goal.

Power said doctors are now considering when to bring Emily out of the coma, but there is a long road ahead.

"It is a slow process, very, very slow process," he said.

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