Bridget Johnson, the 10-year-old daughter of Red Sox first base coach Ron Johnson, is currently recovering from a near-death experience last Sunday. Bridget's leg was severed when she was hit by a car while horseback riding in the family's home town of Nashville, Tenn. She remained in intensive care for five days before being moved into a private room at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, where the family has stayed.
Though the knee was severed at the knee immediately, a local came to Bridget's aid and saved her from bleeding out. The leg was stitched back to her body and doctors are awaiting whether her body can handle it. According to NewsChannel 5 in Tennessee [1], to whom Johnson spoke of the horrific accident, doctors did detect a pulse following the re-attachment but are unsure of whether or not it will adhere to the body.
The 54-year-old Johnson, who previously served as the Pawtucket Red Sox' manager before being promoted in the offseason, was made aware of the accident shortly after the team's 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Sunday and was in the air within 45 minutes. The man who saved his daughter, referred to as only "Bernie," has been intent on staying out the spotlight.
"He jumped out of his car, put a death grip on my daughter's leg and, from what I understand would not let go even when paramedics got there," Johnson said of the anonymous hero. "Every doctor in this hospital told me if it wasn't this guy's act, and the way this guy responded, my daughter bleeds out on the side of the road."
For more on the Red Sox, visit their team page at weei.com/redsox [2].
Links:
[1] http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=12941987
[2] http://www.weei.com/redsox
[3] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/red-sox