A mum in West Chiltington, West Sussex, recently found herself in a perilous situation while trying to protect her mischievous pet goats. Jackie Stride attempted to move a wooden stake away from her goats’ paddock to prevent them from getting injured. Unfortunately, her well-intentioned actions led to a dangerous accident as she ended up impaling herself on the spike.
Jackie had been inspecting a wooden chair made for her goats when she noticed that a part of it had rotted away, leaving a large exposed spike. Concerned that her goats – Crunchie, Goldilocks, and Wispa – might hurt themselves on the spike, she tried to push the chair over. In an unfortunate turn of events, she slipped on her fourth attempt and fell onto the spike, with the point piercing the back of her right leg.
Initially thinking she had caught her trousers on the spike, Jackie later realized the severity of her injury. Despite her calm demeanor, her husband insisted on taking her to the hospital immediately. At Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, medical professionals treated a deep, full-thickness wound on her leg. Jackie later underwent debridement surgery at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to remove any damaged tissue from the cut.
Returning home with eight stitches in her leg, Jackie continues to care for her animals, including four ponies, two dogs, three cats, and three goats, with the help of a mobility scooter. Reflecting on the incident, she expressed gratitude for narrowly avoiding a more severe outcome, considering the potential risks of the injury.
Through it all, Jackie’s goats, unaware of the sacrifice she made for their safety, continued with their usual activities. Despite the lack of gratitude from her goats, Jackie remains appreciative of her fortunate escape from a potentially life-threatening situation.