This story was reported and written by Patch Local Editor Sunde Farquhar. Westchase Patch wanted to share the efforts the Nugents are making to prevent accidents like the one Ireland Nugent, 2, experienced recently.

"Go fast! Up High! Really High!" shouts 2-year-old Ireland Nugent to her father Jerry, who is pushing the spunky toddler on the family's swing in the back yard of their Palm Harbor home.

Whisps of her curly hair fly in the breeze as Ireland shrieks with joy, her "Dora the Explorer" and "Princess Minnie" prosthetic legs extend outward as the swing moves back and forth.

It's a happy scene for this local family who is still coping with the aftermath of a lawn mower accident that severed Ireland's ankles.  Back in April, Jerry Nugent accidentally backed over his daughter while putting the lawn mower in the garage.

"This has not slowed her down any. This is our problem," said Ireland's mother Nicole Nugent, speaking about her and her husband's challenges dealing with the tragedy. 

"We're both being treated for post-traumatic stress," she added.

"I have a really hard time with flashbacks and stuff. I'll be driving and all of the sudden I start seeing it and I've got to pull over," said Nicole.

The Nugents do not want other families to go through a similar accident that leaves a child injured or without a limb. They want to spread the word about dangers of riding lawn mowers. 

"If I could do anything, I would really want people to know that accidents can happen. You've got to really research the things you have in your home," said Nicole.

"We never knew anything about lawn mowers. We always kept our kids inside. We never knew that there was certain safety features. What to look for, what not to look for. You don't know what you need to know until it's too late. There's gotta be some kind of law changing," said Nicole.

Jerry Nugent spoke with U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis at a fundraiser held for Ireland in Palm Harbor last month.

"I gave him some of my thoughts and ideas which is to create a "Mower Awareness Week or Month" which would be in March to inform people about lawn mower safety,"  said Jerry.

The Nugents would also like lawn mower manufacturers and repair companies to get involved in a safety campaign by offering inspections similar to car-seat inspections sponsored by fire departments.

The couple says they've been contacted by parents of other lawn mower accident victims, so they know there is a need for awareness. They've also read about similar tragedies. Just last weekend, a toddler in Washington state died when his grandfather accidentally backed over him while piloting a riding lawn mower. 

The Nugents have been studying about lawn mower injuries to find out how widespread the problem is.

"We read that there are 600 amputations a year in the United States, fingertips, toe, arms, a leg, and half of those are children. Something has to change with that," said Nicole, who also says she'd like to honor those injured or killed with a candlelight vigil or lantern release.

In the meantime, the Nugents say talking with other families of amputees is very therapeutic.

"If I can reach out to somebody, even though we're still in the healing process. It's part of the healing process to be able to talk to them and try and lift them up and let them know that you're gonna get through it, your baby's gonna get better. She may not ever be the same, but she's still your baby and she's still alive," said Jerry.

Want to follow Ireland Nugent's progress? 

The family has created a website that features updates about Ireland and lists fundraising events. You can also make a direct donation to the family if you wish.

Some things you might not know about Ireland Nugent-

  • Birthday: Aug. 20 
  • Favorite Toy: Anything having to do with Dora the Explorer
  • Favorite Colors: Pink and purple
  • Favorite TV Shows: Dora the Explorer,  SpongeBob SquarePants
  • Favorite Thing to Do: Swim
  • Favorite Thing to Say: "Mine" and "No" 
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