Six-year-old has both feet severed in freak seat belt accident

The Virginia State Police have issued an appeal for public support after the daughter of a state trooper lost both her feet in a “terrible accident” involving a seat belt.

Aubrey Scaletta, aged six, was playing with a ratchet strap in the passenger seat of a pickup truck on 17 May when one end of the strap went out the window and wrapped around the drive shaft.

The other end of the strap wrapped around Aubrey's feet, almost pulling her out of the window, the Virginia State Police Association (VSPA) said in a statement. The strap quickly tightened, severing both her feet.

Aubrey was airlifted to a hospital where she underwent a six-hour surgery as the doctors tried to reattach her amputated feet.

“Both feet seem to be receiving good blood flow after being reattached, and as of this morning, doctors have taken off the ventilator,” the VSPA authorities told 10 News

Aubrey is the daughter of state trooper Daniel Scaletta, the police association said, adding that “Aubrey, Aubrey’s sister and Aubrey’s parents are having a real hard time coping with this painful tragedy”.

“The injuries are horrible and painful for all involved,” the VSPA statement said, as it appealed to members of the public to donate towards its emergency relief fund to support the family and help pay for Aubrey’s treatment.

“There are quite a few more surgeries that will need to be completed with reattaching her tendons and skin grafts in the near future,” the VSPA said.

In an update on Facebook posted on Thursday, Aubrey's mother, Lauren Wensel Scaletta, said the child had been taken off the ventilator and was breathing on her own.

She said the family was hopeful that Aubrey would be shifted from the Intensive Care Unit to the paediatric floor over the weekend.

"This has been both the longest and shortest days of our lives," Ms Wensel Scaletta wrote.

"We have held our breath and moved hour by hour most of the time we have been in the PICU. Everyone has done their very best to take care of our girl and we couldn’t imagine being anywhere else."

Aubrey's next surgery on her legs for skin grafts is scheduled for 9 June and she will likely be able to leave the hospital by the end of June in a wheelchair with elevated leg support.

After leaving the hospital she will have physical therapy at home. "Since she is so young it will be done on out patient/ home plan instead of a rehab facility," Ms Wensel Scaletta said.

The goal is to have her walking with braces and walkers by Christmas, she said, adding that while "we realize these things are not guaranteed, it was nice to hear what could be".

"Aubrey is one tough cookie and we are following her lead as best we can. My princess monster is such a warrior."

As well as the call for donations to the VSPA fund, a separate GoFundMe page set up for Aubrey has already raised $50,000.