Des Moines, Iowa
Indianola, July 25th, 2005- Her family thought it was just a bump on the head, but 24 hours later a 16-year-old Indianola girl was dead.
Katey Foy fell off her skateboard Thursday while at a skatepark. Several of her friends saw it happen, but didn't think it would end up costing Katey her life.
Everyone thought it was just a concussion. Katey was alert and talking after she fell off her skate board. Because her death was so unexpected, friends and family are having an even harder time understanding it. A memorial at the Indianola skatepark is helping Katey Foy's friends cope with their pain. Some brought flowers, others left messages to remember their friend with the big smile.
But a skateboarding accident on a hill changed everything. Jon Reed was there and says Katey lost control, fell off her skateboard and hit her head. She wasn't wearing a helmet. Reed says, "She was talking, we were trying to keep her awake because we saw that she had cut her head pretty bad."
No one, especially her family,.thought her life was in jeopardy. But they were wrong. The next day, Katey developed swelling on her brain. She died Friday in the hospital. Even though her life wasn't saved, Katey's family decided to donate her organs so others would be. They also hope her death reminds other skaters to put on a helmet.
With the sudden death of their oldest daughter, Katey's family is having a hard time finding any comfort. The family is holding a memorial/prayer service here at the skate park Tuesday night at seven. It's mainly for Katey's friends. Her funeral is planned for Thursday morning.
Most of the injuries to skateboarders happen to children younger than Katey. Six in ten of children who get hurt are younger than 15. And a third of those injuries happen to children who've been skating less than a week. Iowa does not have a mandatory helmet law for kids who skateboard.
Indianola, July 25th, 2005- Her family thought it was just a bump on the head, but 24 hours later a 16-year-old Indianola girl was dead.
Katey Foy fell off her skateboard Thursday while at a skatepark. Several of her friends saw it happen, but didn't think it would end up costing Katey her life.
Everyone thought it was just a concussion. Katey was alert and talking after she fell off her skate board. Because her death was so unexpected, friends and family are having an even harder time understanding it. A memorial at the Indianola skatepark is helping Katey Foy's friends cope with their pain. Some brought flowers, others left messages to remember their friend with the big smile.
But a skateboarding accident on a hill changed everything. Jon Reed was there and says Katey lost control, fell off her skateboard and hit her head. She wasn't wearing a helmet. Reed says, "She was talking, we were trying to keep her awake because we saw that she had cut her head pretty bad."
No one, especially her family,.thought her life was in jeopardy. But they were wrong. The next day, Katey developed swelling on her brain. She died Friday in the hospital. Even though her life wasn't saved, Katey's family decided to donate her organs so others would be. They also hope her death reminds other skaters to put on a helmet.
With the sudden death of their oldest daughter, Katey's family is having a hard time finding any comfort. The family is holding a memorial/prayer service here at the skate park Tuesday night at seven. It's mainly for Katey's friends. Her funeral is planned for Thursday morning.
Most of the injuries to skateboarders happen to children younger than Katey. Six in ten of children who get hurt are younger than 15. And a third of those injuries happen to children who've been skating less than a week. Iowa does not have a mandatory helmet law for kids who skateboard.
