QUINCY, Wash. — A toddler remains in the hospital after his foot was run over by a lawn mower at a Washington daycare earlier this summer, family members say.
Since the end of June, 2-year-old Mateo Pacheco Elliott has been hospitalized in Seattle. His mother, Stacey Elliott, said her toddler had his foot cut off while at daycare in Quincy, Washington. It happened June 24.
Through GoFundMe, Elliott has shared harrowing updates about her son's recovery. Angela Axelson, a family friend who started the fundraiser, said she's doing all she can for them during this difficult time.
“Parents being out of work right now and what not just makes it hard for them. I want to be able to help them in any way possible," Axelson said. “I’ve been friends with Mateo’s mom for about 10 years. It's made it even harder seeing someone I watched grow up have such a horrible injury.”
Axelson alleges the daycare owner was the person driving the riding lawn mower.
"Two-year-old Mateo wanted to speak to the owner. [He] went running up to the lawn mower, slipped and fell. Went under and his leg was amputated," she said. The child's foot was amputated and he sustained serious injuries to his ankle, knee and thigh, according to the fundraiser's updates.
The Quincy Police Department investigated the case and did not find enough evidence to send it to prosecutors for criminal charges. In a separate investigation, the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) suspended the daycare's license. The state department is continuing to investigate.
"Yes, accidents can happen but when you're paying people to take care of your children, you should be able to trust the provider to take complete care of them and not severely injure them," Axelson said. "Keep praying for the family and pray that he has a quick recovery and they can get home soon and try to resume life as normal as they can."
Axelson said the family is considering legal action.
As of this article being published, KING 5 has not been able to reach the owners of the daycare for a comment.