You’d expect a head injury to come from a car crash, maybe even an accident while playing. Emily Reid was simply perched on a stool, watching the La Crosse Loggers on June 13, when a foul ball struck the 6-year-old on the right side of her head.

“I saw the ball coming; I thought it was higher than it was,” said Heidi Reid, who was standing behind her daughter. “After I heard her skull crack, I caught her falling back.”

Emily Reid, 6, and her mother Heidi visit with their family practice doctor, Dr. Jamie Mannion, during a checkup Tuesday at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. Reid suffered an injury in June at a Loggers game when she was struck by a foul ball. PETER THOMSON photo

The impact left Emily with an open skull fracture. Heidi, a nurse, held her daughter’s spine, fearing she might have a neck injury as well. The girl’s head began to bleed.

“I felt the blood in my hand and screamed for anyone to call 911. Her eyes were back into her head, and she was unconscious,” Heidi said.

Heidi, who works in the intensive-care unit at Franciscan Skemp, said she kept reassuring her daughter she would be all right. “She called out, ‘Momma, Momma’ and kept crying,” Heidi said.

Loggers’ owner Dan Kapanke reached the family and asked what he could do.

“I told him, ‘Just pray for her,’” Heidi said.

Critical condition

At Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, Emily was in critical condition and Heidi in shock. “I couldn’t even think,” Heidi said. “I couldn’t believe it happened.”

Heidi had taken Emily and sons Ethan and Garrett to the game. Husband Brent was not at the game but was preparing for a graduation party in Onalaska for Heidi’s niece.

At the ballpark, Emily had been able to brush off home plate. Her brothers participated in the wheelbarrow relay race.



“I had the weekend off from work, and the baseball game was a kickoff to our summer,” Heidi said. “I thought it was a safe place to go. We were having a blast.”

Brent said a Loggers staff member called him at home and told him his daughter had a head bump that required stitches.

He drove to the baseball park to pick up his sons, and then had to return because the boys had left their sweatshirts there.

“I didn’t think the injury was serious until I noticed a pool of blood on the concrete,” Brent said.

At the hospital, he was ushered into the CT scan room. When he saw the image, “I said, ‘I hope that’s not my daughter,’ The back of her head was caved in.”

Emily had a severe decompressed skull fracture. A medical helicopter flew her to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn., which has a pediatrics intensive care unit.

Her parents followed by vehicle. “It was the longest drive of my life,” Heidi said.

“We were still in shock, and we worried about Emily, because she didn’t know what was happening and where her mom and dad was,” she said. “Her life passed before our eyes.”

Two neurosurgeons at St. Marys prepared to do surgery in the morning. “Our hope was Emily would be stable through the night,” Heidi said.

Before surgery, a chaplain prayed with Emily, and Heidi pinned a rosary to her daughter’s gown.

The surgeons repaired the skull and placed six metal plates with 44 screws into Emily’s head.

She spent almost a week in the hospital. She had a seizure soon after returning home and returned to St. Marys, where she was evaluated for 2½ days. With medication, she hasn’t had another seizure.

Healing slowly

Today, Emily outwardly appears back to normal, but the head injury has left lingering effects: some memory trouble, irritability, tantrums and other behavioral problems.

Emily also has had headaches and nightmares.

“She even thought she had done something wrong and was very scared,” Heidi said.

Emily has had physical therapy and occupational therapy at home.

Heidi and Brent take turns sleeping with her because they want to be there for a possible seizure. They also watch her closely to prevent any bumps to the head, as she now is more susceptible to other head injuries.

“To see her, she looks fine,” Brent said. “But it’s all unknown. We don’t know what the future holds.”

Heidi said she tells people her daughter is doing OK considering what happened.

“Emily has beaten the odds to be here,” she said. “We’re hopeful that she’ll be fine in time, but it is a brain injury and you don’t change that overnight.”

Emily faces challenges and possible future surgery, Heidi said.

“Every week we see improvement with her,” she said.

Dr. Jamie Mannion, a family medicine physician at Franciscan Skemp, said Emily has gaps in her skull that he hopes bone growth will eventually close.

“It will take time to heal,” Mannion said.

Back at the park

Emily and her family returned to a Loggers game Thursday to allow the crowd to see her and thank people for their support and prayers.

The Loggers have been taking donations for the family and have donated items for an upcoming benefit for Emily to help pay for medical bills not covered by insurance.

Two other families went to the game with the Reids. Emily wasn’t too concerned about the baseball game when she played with her friends.

At the top of the third inning, the Reids were escorted out to the field where they received a standing ovation.

“We were concerned about returning to the ballpark, but it was a good thing to be there,” Brent said. “People gave us a first-hand account of how they felt, and the Loggers treated us very well.”

The Reids stayed for the game and sat protected by nets behind home plate.

“Emily did OK, and on the whole, she felt safe,” Brent said. “But after a few foul balls hit the net, she said, ‘It’s time we should get going.’ ”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Emily Reid benefit

WHEN: 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 24

WHERE: All Star Lanes Banquet Hall, 4735 Mormon Coulee Road

ACTIVITIES: Raffle, silent auction, crafts sale, music

DONATIONS: Can be sent to Emily Reid Benefit Fund, Associated Bank, Shelby Quillin’s branch, 3956 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse, WI 54601.

CONTACT: Call (608) 782-1301

Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8227.

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