On September 18, 25 people, including elementary school-aged children were injured during a school field trip to an apple orchard in Lafayette, Wisconsin. The group, which included adult chaperones and students from St. Mark Lutheran School in Eau Claire, were on a wagon ride when the tractor pulling the wagon lost control going downhill. The driver attempted to stop, but that only caused the wagon to turn over.
Three of the injured people suffered life-threatening injuries, while five others had serious injuries. Nine went to the local hospital by ambulance, while more went in personal vehicles. And one little boy was taken to another hospital by helicopter due to the severity of his injuries.
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One boy was airlifted to the hospital.
Kindergarten student Gabe Mier was airlifted to Gillette Children’s at Regions Hospital, in St. Paul, Minnesota, a level one trauma hospital an hour and a half away from his home, his mom, Angie Mier, confirmed to People. Gabe had several injuries, including multiple skull fractures, a bruise on his brain, and three lacerations. He was in the hospital from September 18 through September 22.
Gabe has been on a road to recovery.
“My husband and I are relieved that Gabe is doing so well. We know he has a long way to go to fully heal,” Angie told People, sharing that she, her husband Will, and her father, were all also involved in the accident. Her father, Bob Schmick, “was taken by ambulance to another hospital.”
Gabe “is sleeping through the night and no longer wants someone with him when he sleeps. He gets tired really fast and his best time is from the time he wakes up until about two hours later,” she explained.
The school has been supportive of Gabe's healing.
Since the accident, Angie and her family have been in touch with St. Mark Lutheran School, the school that sponsored the field trip, saying that the school has “been amazing!” She went on to say that she has “never met more caring people than the people of St. Mark’s Lutheran church and school.”
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Extended family set up a GoFundMe.
Amanda Luebeck and Jason Schmick, Gabe’s aunt and uncle, set up a GoFundMe to help the family with the unforeseen medical costs that have come from Gabe’s accident. “Like most of us, Angie and Will have a very tight family budget. They are a wonderfully loving family, and a tragedy like this can put them out of work for a considerable amount of time,” the page reads. So far, the fundraiser has reached almost $50,000.
Gabe's healing has really become a community effort.
“The way my family and their community has come together to love and support what my nephew is going through has been nothing short of a blessing,” Luebeck told People. “We could not have dreamt of all of the love and prayers we have received.”
As of September 24, the Miers have returned to their home in Chippewa Falls, according to the GoFundMe.
