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Jaeger Dziama, age 5, received extensive injuries to his right leg in an incident involving a neighbor's ride-on lawnmower on Friday, June 16 in the area of 28 South River Street in Wellesley, as reported by Daily Voice.
The child has remained under intensive care since the accident, but his family is receiving an outpouring of support in the aftermath of the "horrific trauma" in the form of tens of thousands of dollars in donations to a GoFundMe campaign.
Jaeger underwent multiple surgeries in the days after the accident to clean his extensive wounds, repair fractures, and prevent infections.
He now faces another series of surgeries, including bone grafting, skin grafting, and a muscle flap, in the hopes of regaining the function of his affected leg.
It will likely take several weeks to find a match for Jaeger's bone graft, which is necessary due to the loss of part of his knee and femur.
Jaeger's parents, Justin and Laura, are juggling caring for their injured child while tending to a newborn daughter. Jaeger's older brother, Jayce, has been in the care of family and friends and Facetimes his brother in between his operations.
Jaeger's parents were initially reticent to ask for help, but have received a deluge of donations in only a few days since the GoFundMe was launched.
"Get well soon, [Jaeger.] Our thoughts are with the entire Dziama family," wrote one donor. "We look forward to having you all back in the neighborhood soon."
"We are so grateful for the amazing outpouring of support that we’ve received from family, friends, and the absolutely wonderful communities who have embraced our family," wrote Jaeger's parents. "Jaeger continues to amaze us with his positivity and bravery throughout his extremely difficult and painful journey to healing and recovery."
Donations to the GoFundMe will allow the family to focus on healing and get back on their feet, the campaign description said.
Click here to view the GoFundMe for Jaeger Dziama.
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