If you were anything like me when you were little, you were crazy about rides at amusement parks. Especially during holidays. I always wanted to go on every carousel and every roller coaster.
11-year-old Elizabeth “Lulu” Gilreath from Nebraska in the United States was no different.
Unfortunately, a ride on the roller coaster changed Lulu’s life forever.
She was a cheerful 11-year-old enjoying a beautiful day at a local fair. Like every child her age, she decided to take a ride on one of the attractions. She entered the “King’s Crown” ride, but came out without her hair and covered in blood.
During the ride, the girl’s hair got caught in the machinery and was ripped from her head along with her scalp. It happened in front of her mother’s eyes, who says she will never forget her daughter’s screams.
It took five minutes to stop the attraction, and Lulu was rushed to the hospital, where she fought for her life.
Lulu will never look the same as before the accident. She underwent several skin transplants to restore the skin on her head.
The story quickly made its way to local and national media, and the family received a lot of support. Nearly half a million dollars was raised to pay Lulu’s hospital bills.
Lulu received letters from strangers from all over the United States. This brave little girl did her best to reply to all the kind people who wished her well.
Unfortunately, her hair will never grow back.
Despite this nightmare, Lulu has proven to be very strong and looks forward to life and the future with optimism.
She and her mother are working hard to ensure that attractions follow stricter rules. They hope that a new law will be passed to prevent something similar from ever happening again in the future.
Lulu wants to remind everyone not to have anything hanging loose when going on rides. Whether it’s hair, strings, or a scarf. Take off anything that could potentially get caught before you embark. She knows all too well what can happen if you don’t.
Fortunately, Lulu’s wounds healed much faster than the doctors expected – she was well enough to leave the hospital after 3 months.
And even though she was happy to return to normal life, Lulu was also scared. She was going to a new school and worried about what her new classmates would think of her appearance.
Her mother took her shopping for a wig. And they found the perfect wig for Lulu, making her look almost as she did before the accident.
Her first day at school went very smoothly, and most children had already heard of the terrible accident. They found Lulu incredibly strong and admired how cheerful and positive she was.
She is definitely a brave little girl. I hope all her scars heal and she can live a normal life for someone her age.
Share Lulu’s story to warn everyone of the dangers of going on rides with loose items.
I really hope this never happens again.
