CABOT, Ark. – What started as a fun snow day quickly turned into a life-changing ordeal for a Vilonia family whose 16-year-old daughter was seriously injured in a sledding accident in Cabot.
Lexie Glover was sledding with friends near Magnus Creek on Jan. 26 when she lost control while traveling down a steep road and crashed headfirst into a brick mailbox. The impact left her with multiple fractures and severe spinal damage.
Her mother, Katie Glover, said: “She slipped and hit a mailbox and hit the ground head first, face first and she passed out immediately.”
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An ambulance was called to the scene and Lexie was taken to hospital where doctors discovered her injuries. She suffered neck and back injuries and fractured shoulders and pelvis. Katie Glover said doctors performed a spinal fusion on her back in a 10-hour operation the next morning.
Katie Glover said she and her husband initially thought their daughter’s injuries would be minor.
“We just expected some cuts and scrapes; we didn’t expect it to be this serious,” Glover said. “It’s heartbreaking to see her like this.”
Lexie has been hospitalized for more than a week now and has been moved from the intensive care unit to the recovery floor at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Her family says the road to recovery has just begun and will require a long recovery before she can walk again or fully use her right arm.
Despite the challenges, her mother said Lexi is making small but meaningful progress.
“She can now feed herself with a spoon and hold a cup,” Glover said. “She is regaining strength in her right arm and hand and learning how to move while still in pain.”
Katie described her daughter as strong, resilient and fiercely independent. She believes these qualities can help Lexie move forward during her recovery. Still, uncertainty has been one of the hardest parts for the family, including not knowing how long Lexie will be hospitalized or when she will be able to return to school.
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The Glover family begins to fund me Help pay for mounting medical bills and ask for prayers and support from the community. Katie also hopes sharing Lexi’s story will serve as a reminder of how quickly accidents can happen.
“This could happen to any of our kids,” she said. “She was just sledding and having fun like a teenager. Who would have thought something like this could happen?”
Although the road to recovery remains uncertain, the Glover family said they remain hopeful that Lexie will continue to work toward recovery, taking one small step at a time.
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