A Field Trip Ended in Skull Fractures for Wisc. Boy. Now He's Home and Healing: 'Blessed,' Says Mom (Exclusive)
Gabe Mier, 5, suffered from multiple skull fractures, a bruise on his brain and three lacerations after an accident during a school field trip
One young boy sustained several life-threatening injuries after a tractor accident occurred during a field trip with his classmates to Bushel and a Peck Apple Orchard in Lafeyette, Wis.
Gabe Mier, 5, was airlifted to Gillette Children's at Regions Hospital and remained in its care from Sept. 18 through Sept. 22
"My husband and I are relieved that Gabe is doing so well, his mom tells PEOPLE, adding that "he has a long way to go to fully heal"
After several kindergarten students were injured while riding in a wagon on an apple orchard in Lafeyette, Wis., one young boy was airlifted to Minnesota for life-threatening injuries, his mother, Angie Mier, confirms with PEOPLE. Fortunately, he's on the road to recovery.
Angie's son, Gabe, 5, joined his St. Mark Lutheran School classmates for a field trip to Bushel and a Peck Apple Orchard on Wednesday, Sept. 18. But while at the local orchard, 25 people, including children and their chaperones, were injured after the wagon pulled by a tractor lost control going downhill, Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes tells PEOPLE.
He explains that he believes the driver "applied its breaks...to kind of correct it from towing out." But that caused the wagon to "jackknife," and the wagon's decking that held the passengers became detached, flipped over and landed on those on board.
Three of those hurt had life-threatening injuries, five more had serious injuries and nine more were transported by ambulance. Since then, everyone has been released from the hospital.
Gabe was airlifted by helicopter to treat his various injuries, including multiple skull fractures, a bruise on his brain and three lacerations. He was taken to a level one trauma hospital, Gillette Children's at Regions Hospital, in St. Paul, Minn. — an hour and a half from their home. He remained at the hospital from Sept. 18th through Sunday, Sept. 22.
Angie tells PEOPLE that along with Gabe, she, her husband, Will, and her father, Bob Schmick, were all in the accident. Her father "was taken by ambulance to another hospital."
"My husband and I are relieved that Gabe is doing so well. We know he has a long way to go to fully heal," she adds. "He 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 shares that they have remained in contact with St. Mark Lutheran School, which she says has "been amazing!" The mom notes that she's "never met more caring people than the people of St. Mark's Lutheran church and school."
Gabe's aunt, Amanda Luebeck, who set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay the unforeseen medical bills, tells PEOPLE she's thankful for everyone's support as Gabe returned home.
"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," says Luebeck. "We could not have dreamt of all of the love and prayers we have received."
Meanwhile, that same week, Gabe's older brother, Damien, who has the same father as Gabe, got into a tractor accident.
Damien was also airlifted to the same hospital, Hakes tells PEOPLE. He explains that since the area is "very agriculturally rich," students "are encouraged to drive a tractor to school to showcase some of the work that they've done on restoring older tractors." But the older boy was rear-ended by a car while driving a tractor to school. He was released from the hospital the following week.
In the GoFundMe, Amanda shared an update about Damien on behalf of Will on Sept. 23, and revealed that Damien would need to "go home in a wheelchair, but [will] able to walk with an assistant." Will declined to provide further comment to PEOPLE.
Nearly $50,000 has been raised as of Monday, Sept. 30.
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Angie wanted to "thank everyone that has prayed for [her] sons, donated to assist our family, and been there for us in our worst moments."
Adding, "God will never give us more than we can handle. He has a lot of trust in my family. We believe he was watching over both boys and is the reason we could bring them both home."
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