7-Week-Old Eastern Iowa Baby Injured at Dad’s Softball Game
The evening of Wednesday, May 2 started as an exciting one for the Hovenga family of Shell Rock, Iowa. Kassy and Lee's daughter, McKenna, were going on her first outing, to see her dad play softball. The night would soon turn into a nightmare.
According to a post on the Healing for McKenna Facebook page, here's what happened:
Kassy and McKenna were sitting behind the fence in the stands on the third base line at Lee's softball game. Another pair of teams were playing and Lee was helping Kassy get situated with a blanket over her, so Kassy could breastfeed. Lee had his back to the field and never saw the ball coming. The ball came over the fence - and either hit McKenna first or hit Kassy first. We're really not sure as it happened so fast and Kassy was looking down at McKenna as she was feeding. Neither of them saw the ball as it came over the fence. What's puzzling is that the fractures are on the side that was next to Kassy - not the outward side. Kassy has a large lump on her bicep where the ball impacted. McKenna didn't begin to scream until a few seconds afterward. They were unaware that she was even hit, until the large lump formed. It happened that fast.
I just wanted to be clear that they were in a safe location, this was her first outing other than to see family or go to grocery store or doctor's appointments. It had been an abnormally cold and snowy spring here in Iowa, with snow as late as the end of April and it was a great evening of warm weather to finally escape the confines of the house. Unfortunately, we can't bubble wrap our babies, as much as we may want.
McKenna was taken to a local hospital, and then life-flighted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her diagnosis? Two brain bleeds and skull fractures. She would begin to have seizures and was in critical condition.
McKenna would be put in a coma and on a ventilator as she battled seizures. She required a blood transfusion because of blood loss. Monday, doctors began to back off of her anti-seizure medications... she was on four different types. The family expects McKenna to be in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit until at least Friday.
You can follow McKenna's story HERE on Facebook and there's a YouCaring page set up for her that, as of 8:30 Tuesday morning, has raised more than $34,000 of its $50,000 goal. If you'd like, you can donate HERE.
Be sure to say a prayer for the family and little McKenna. The fight isn't over but I have no doubt this little cutie will win it.