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NEW BOSTON, N.H. — A little girl who was rushed to the hospital with a pencil through her eye and into her brain is now seeing clearly.
"I picked her up like this and said, ‘You're okay,' and just picked her up. And the pencil was coming right out of her eye only a little bit," said Susie Smith, Olivia's mother.
Two and half weeks ago, 20-month-old Olivia fell, sticking a colored pencil right into her eye.
"I thought the pencil had broken or something. I thought there was no way that whole pencil was through her head," Smith said.
About five inches of the pencil went into her eye, through her brain, and to the back of her skull.
"No impact on the eye sight, there's no impact to the optical nerve, or any major parts of the brain. There's no way to plan to do something like that and have it happen," said Chief Dan MacDonald, New Boston, N.H. Fire Department.
About five inches of the pencil went into her eye, through her brain, and to the back of her skull.
First responders rushed Olivia to the local hospital then flew her to Boston Children's Hospital where they assembled an entire team to remove the pencil without surgery.
Two and half weeks later, rescue crews were still in shock.
"I see her running around, playing like nothing ever happened," said Lt. Ron Riendeau, New Boston, N.H. Fire Department.
Olivia's family is grateful to all the first responders and doctors who saved her life, and for the pencil's perfect path that left Olivia unscarred inside and out.
Doctors believe Olivia will make a full recovery.
