QUINCY, Washington – Four months have passed since a tragic accident left a young boy without a foot at a daycare in Quincy.
Two-year-old Mateo was severely injured at Rodriguez Daycare when a lawnmower accident led to the loss of his foot and leg injuries.
Despite the ordeal, Mateo’s mother shares that he is making progress in his recovery. Stacey Elliott, the boy’s mother, recounted her fear when she heard the news. “Is my son going to live?” she said.
Reflecting on the experience, Stacey added, “I was terrified. It brought back memories of when another tragedy happened.”
Stacey Elliott vividly remembers the day her son was admitted to the hospital. “I told my boss ‘hey it’s an emergency. My son’s in the hospital and I got to go,'” she shared.
“And I get there, and I’m like looking at my son lying on a bed in the hospital covered in blankets. There’s blood sitting on the side of him,” Elliott said.
Mateo was airlifted to Harborview in Seattle, WA.
Elllott explained that Mateo’s accident was severe. “If he would’ve got his femoral artery, he also would’ve died. So the doctors told me I’m very lucky that my son is alive today.”
Mateo faced additional medical challenges, including an infection from a PICC line. “Turned into like this forest green color eventually, which is obviously the start of internal bleedings,” Elliott disclosed.
Compounding the situation, Mateo contracted COVID-19 and was put in isolation. “So they had to put him on isolation for ten days. So he had to wait another seven days before he could see his siblings,” Elliott explained.
Fortunately, after several weeks in the hospital, Mateo is doing better.
“He’s crawling and scooting, but his wound is open because they told me that was going to happen when he starts getting more active, which he is very active. He doesn’t like to sit still at all,” said Elliott.
Though in good spirits, Elliott acknowledged the recovery process for Mateo is challenging.
“He can’t do what he used to be able to do, so he cries a lot. It’s hard seeing him cry all the time not knowing what he wants because he’s not saying as many words as he should be.”
Next steps for Mateo include a meeting scheduled on Tuesday for a prosthetic fitting.
Rodriguez Daycare’s license has been revoked by the State of Washington, reports Source One News.
