Sports-mad schoolgirl loses both legs days before her 13th birthday after being crushed by tractor in ‘freak accident' on family farm
Féile O'Sullivan was left fighting for her life with catastrophic injuries to her lower abdomen and both legs after getting caught beneath the machine's wheels on her family's farm in County Cork, Ireland last month.
She was airlifted to Cork University Hospital where surgeons were forced to carry out an emergency double amputation to save her life.
Her mother Maureen has kept vigil at Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin, where the schoolgirl has undergone 30 surgeries and still faces another 15 before she can be discharged.
Family friend Finbarr Harrington told the Daily Mail: 'It was a freak farm accident that happened in a split second, but it has left her with life-changing challenges, life-changing injuries. It has turned her life and her mum's life upside down.
'She's going to have to adapt her entire life because she was really outgoing, she played all kinds of sports. She played Gaelic football here which is our native sport as you know.
'She played soccer, she played rugby, she was big into horse riding, swimming, so she was into everything that was sport-orientated, she was a really outgoing child so she's going to have to adapt to that now.
'Her home is going to have to be adapted, her mum is going to have to get a car, so there's a whole load of stuff ahead of her.'
The sports-mad schoolgirl was left fighting for her life with catastrophic injuries to her lower abdomen and both legs after getting caught beneath the machine's wheels on her family's farm in County Cork, Ireland last month
A GoFundMe page to cover the cost of Féile's rehabilitation, prosthetic limbs and home adaptations has already raised £378,000 (€438,000) in just over a week after being set up by a family friend.
Féile was airlifted to Cork University Hospital immediately following the accident at the start of July.
She spent the first week there before being transferred to the specialist children's hospital in Dublin.
Due to the severity of her injuries she was kept in an induced state for the first month but is now fully awake and aware of what happened to her.
Now the family has shared photographs of the brave teenager in her hospital bed as well as in happier times enjoying activities including swimming and fishing.
Finbarr said: 'She's quite good. For the first month she was kept in an induced state because of her condition, but she is now fully awake, fully alert and she understands what happened to her and she is facing the challenge, and she is an unbelievably brave child. You can't emphasise that enough.
'Her mum has explained what happened to her and what's ahead of her and she really does understand what's ahead of her and the challenges ahead of her and to be fair to her she is facing that challenge and she's taking it on.
'But I suppose what is of huge comfort to her is that she sees the outpouring of support and love for her both financially and the good messages and that is really a comfort to her and she is so, so grateful for that, both herself and her mother Maureen are so grateful for that.'
In a heartfelt message on the GoFundMe page, supporters gave a glimpse of the vibrant young girl they're fighting for.
They wrote: 'Anyone lucky enough to know Féile will tell you how full of life, energy, fun, kindness and what a pure messer she is. She adores dogs and horses.
'Farming is in her blood, and she loves everything about nature, outdoors, staying active - she's also a true sports star - whether football, soccer, gymnastics, or anything involving movement and fun, Féile is always giving it her all, with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes.
'This accident hasn't changed who she is, but has just changed what she now needs.
'The road ahead will be lengthy and demanding. Féile has undergone extensive surgeries and fought hard to still be with us. She will face many more surgeries to aid her.'
They also said she will need prosthetic limbs and mobility aids as she recovers.
Finbarr, who is a local councillor, said: 'We live in a very small rural community.
'We're actually right out in the peripheries of Ireland, we're right out on the southwest coast, a small little peninsula called the Beara Peninsula, so we're surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, we're right out on the sea.
'Our parish, our little community, probably has a population of just under 300 adults. We've about 40 pupils going to the national school. So then in the wider community, the wider peninsula and in the wider county and beyond the decency and the outreach of people, the outpouring of love and support from people, it has been phenomenal.
'Not just financially, people have given money as you can see in the GoFundMe page which is phenomenal, but the amount of people that have reached out, parents that have been in similar scenarios to offer advice and all that kind of stuff, and words of support, that's very comforting as well for Feile and her mum Maureen and for that they are so, so grateful.
'When Feile goes down to theatre for the day and has surgeries, when she comes back herself and her mum look at the social media and the fund for Feile page and the Stand4Feile challenge at the moment and it's unbelievably comforting to her to know that so, so many people care about her and want to help her and wants to support her and want to see her getting better.'
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