It's hunting season again and with it comes warnings of gun safety. Every day, 24 children are victims of gunshot wounds. And while that statistics is startling, what's more amazing are kids who live after a bullet brings them close to death.
On August 22, 2003, 7 year old Haley Torkelson and her 5 year old brother Trevor spent the day at Grandma's in Slayton, Minnesota. Also visiting were two teenage cousins, practicing with their rifles. When one of their guns got jammed, they dumped the bullets out and used a plunger to clear it. But one bullet was still in the chamber and the trigger was 'accidently' pulled.
That gunshot and a frantic phone call forever changed the lives of Torkelson's. Steve Torkelson says, "I remember hearing the words bullet- gun- Haley's chest and I hit the floor- I fainted." Roxanne Torkelson, Haley's mom says, "It was disbelieve at first, must have been a mistake."
It was no mistake. Haley says, "I was bleeding a little and it was hard for me to breath." The cousin accidentally shot 7 year old Haley in the chest with a .22 caliber rifle.
Haley remembers that day, "I told my grandma I got shot and she didn't believe me. I lifted up my shirt up than fell on the floor." Haley was airlifted from Slayton, Minnesota to Sioux Valley Hospital. The doctor told the Torkelson's he wouldn't know how extensive the damage was until after surgery.
Steve says, "It is so hard as parents to see you child in pain, we didn't know if she'd make it through surgery or anything." Roxanne remembers, "I just begged with the doctor no matter what make sure she's alright." Steve adds, "After they did surgery they found out that it hit her diagpram and her liver but it missed everything that would have killed her, her heart esophagus and stomach."
Amazingly, Haley who was only centimeters from death, went home in just a week. All that remains now is this scar and some scary memories. She says, "It was just like a hammer." Her family's convinced she lived because she has a lesson and a life to share.
Roxanne says, "Please, don't take your children for granted, please they can be gone in just a second."
Haley says, "People shouldn't play with guns a lot because it is very dangerous people can get hurt because of that."
The cousin that shot Haley was charged with 'reckless discharge of a firearm.' The family forgave him. In fact, the first thing Haley asked for when she woke up from surgery was him. She wanted to make sure he knew it was a mistake and she was okay.
