Girl shows recovery signs after accident
Abbie fell off horse, now in induced coma
ABBIE Sweeper, the 10-yearold Plainland girl who was in a “one in a million” horse accident, is showing signs of recovery.
A post on the Facebook page dedicated to Abbie and her accident says she is “frowning and opening her eyes momentarily and regulating her own blood pressure” in the ICU at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Abbie was badly injured on Sunday when she fell off her horse while participating in the the Laidley and District Pony Club Gymkhana.
Increasing its goal from $5000 to $10,000, a GoFundMe page for Abbie has raised almost $6000 so far towards the girl’s medical expenses and to help ease some of the burden for Abbie and her parents.
The City of Ipswich Pony Club and Hendra Pony Club have both pledged their support to Abbie and her family.
Dedicating its 60th anniversary to Abbie, the Hendra Pony Club announced it would be using the event to raise money through donations and raffles.
Club vice-president Tina Smith said the club wanted to raise as much as possible.
“A lot of our members know Abigail and quite a few were actually out there at Laidley when the event happened,” Mrs Smith said.
“A few are really upset because they actually saw it.”
She hoped the club would be able to help ease some of the financial burden.
“It’s one of those things we all feel can happen at any time and we can only teach the kids how to ride but little mishaps happen,” she said.
“Everyone’s hearts go out to the family.”
She said the injury was a one in a million accident.
“The whole reason we keep riding is because we love the horses, we love the people and the friendships you make through pony clubs,” she said.
“There are always risks but it’s also rewarding.”
She is currently in the Queensland Children’s Hospital in an induced coma.