Tenn. Girl Damage in Freak Accident Whereas Swimming with Dolphins in Jamaica

A Tennessee lady’s household is elevating cash to carry her again to the U.S., after she was injured in a freak accident whereas swimming with dolphins in Jamaica this week.

Cierra Stockard recounted the dolphin encounter to ABC affiliate WKRN on Thursday, March 20, revealing that whereas she was spending time with the mammals throughout her spring break simply days earlier, she landed on one’s dorsal fin and wound up with a big hematoma. She was later taken to an area hospital in Montego Bay.

Her sister, Nevaeh Garton, wrote in a GoFundMe description that Stockard slipped because the dolphin lifted her within the air on Monday, March 17. The “blunt drive trauma” left her sister with a hematoma the scale of “three apples.”

“It simply felt like I received right into a automotive accident,” Stockard stated, calling WKRN from the hospital in Jamaica. “The drive of it — It felt like increase! One thing simply occurred actually dangerous.”

“I used to be simply in a lot ache,” she added. “Tears had been simply operating down my face.”

Stockard — who continues to be in Jamaica with some household — then underwent emergency surgical procedure and two blood transfusions because the incident, as she has sickle cell illness, her sister wrote. She informed WKRN that she was scared she’d by no means see her two younger kids once more.

“We want her residence as a result of that is simply not an excellent circumstance,” Stockard’s aunt, Kimberley Watkins, informed the outlet. “That is simply not an excellent state of affairs.”

“We’ve tried to contact the embassy,” Watkins added. “Principally, they’ll simply direct us. I’m not going to say they’ve not been a assist, however we’ve been doing issues ourselves.”

Based on the GoFundMe, Stockard has been utilizing “remedy from residence” to handle her sickle cell illness, however “can’t handle all of it by herself.” She now reportedly requires one other transfusion, regardless of her hospital not having suitable blood accessible.

Stockard is now out of her second surgical procedure, together with her family members telling WKRN that she’s in good spirits. Nonetheless, as her sister wrote, they “simply need her residence to her infants” and her insurance coverage doesn’t cowl “worldwide emergency journey” — as family members are hoping to boost a complete of $55,000 towards bills, together with a medical flight.

“My household and I hate to see my sister on this state of situation contemplating the place’s she’s at and the worry she has of not with the ability to get again residence to her infants,” Garton wrote. “She is lacking her daughters, cats, household and shoppers.”

“Thanks all a lot for the assistance and prayers, we ask that you just maintain the prayers coming for her throughout this tough time!”

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Thus far, Stockard’s household has raised greater than $10,000 to have her return to the U.S. In a Fb replace on Thursday, March 20, she wrote that she was “contemporary out of surgical procedure” and thanked family members for his or her “prayers and help.”

“I simply received again to the ward and received these clots eliminated and a few blood in my physique. Thank GOD! I’m nonetheless needing 2 extra models however one bag is best than NONE ❤️ nonetheless no ache drugs, so I’m actually thugging this ache out with a smile on my face,” she wrote. “2 surgical procedures with no ache meds… be certain yall inform my youngsters their momma is a gangsta 🥳 I hope that is one step nearer to getting my butt again to Tennessee.”