BARB HANSEN, a 78-year-old Madison resident, is in recovery following a severe fire accident on May 7, which resulted in both of her legs being amputated below the knee. Her daughter, Betty Rook, has launched a GoFundMe page in response, which has now raised more than $6,000 in community donations.
BARB HANSEN, a 78-year-old Madison resident, is in recovery following a severe fire accident on May 7, which resulted in both of her legs being amputated below the knee. Her daughter, Betty Rook, has launched a GoFundMe page in response, which has now raised more than $6,000 in community donations.
When tragedy strikes, communities come together for support. When Barb Hansen, a 78-year-old Madison resident, was involved in an accident that resulted in severe 3rd- and 4th-degree burns on both of her legs and feet, her daughter, Betty Rook, started a fund-raiser on GoFundMe.com to assist with medical and recovery expenses, and the community response has been enormous.
The incident in question occurred on May 7, when Hansen and her son-in-law were doing yard work and burning some branches on her farm near Chester. According to an interview with KELO-Land, Hansen’s son-in-law had departed when the fire was almost out, but Hansen remained to rake up some of the ashes and other debris.
While doing this, the fire reignited, and when Hansen attempted to stomp it out, her shoes caught on fire. As the fire spread up her legs, Hansen managed to call Rook, who rushed to the scene.
Hansen was taken to the Madison emergency room, then immediately airlifted to a burn unit in St. Paul, Minn. To complicate matters further, Hansen suffered a stroke while doctors assessed the damage to her legs and feet, which affected the left side of her body.
On May 11, Hansen underwent her first surgery, with her right leg amputated below the knee. Eight days later, a second surgery took place, which amputated her left leg as well. On Hansen’s GoFundMe page, Rook stated that this second surgery lasted for more than 12 hours.
Rook launched the page last week, and it has already received many donations. As of Monday, the fund-raiser has earned $6,508 of its $10,000 goal, which will help make Hansen’s recovery as swift as possible.
Rook noted that while the road ahead is long, there has been some good news. Hansen’s stroke did not affect her memory and other cognitive functions, though she is still working on gaining mobility back to her left side.
Currently, Hansen is still in St. Paul, but her family is planning for her transfer to a facility in Sioux Falls or another area closer to her home within the next few weeks. Once this occurs, she will begin undergoing the in-patient rehabilitation portion of her recovery, with her family being close by for support.
