A ghastly accident, a full recovery

Photo Courtesy of the family

Teagan Gislason's X-ray showing a screwdriver lodged in her eye socket.

A 2-year-old Farmington girl was rushed to a hospital with a screwdriver lodged in her eye socket Dec. 19. Now she's on the mend.

By COURTNEY BLANCHARD, Star Tribune

Last update: December 27, 2007 - 7:17 AM

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A fund has been set up for Teagan. Send donations to:

Teagan Gislason

c/o Provincial Bank

20280 Iberia Av.

Lakeville, MN 55044

952-469-2265

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A fading black eye and a small puncture wound are the only visible reminders of the screwdriver a 2-year-old Farmington girl plunged into her eye socket last week.

Teagan Gislason came home on Christmas Eve and today is almost fully recovered, able to see the X-ray showing the tool embedded 2 inches into her brain through her eye socket.

"It was very, very scary," said her father, Neil Gislason. "I hope nobody ever has to see this happen to their child."

He called his daughter's recovery a "Christmas miracle" Wednesday night and said his daughter no longer needs pain medication and is only taking antibiotics to prevent infection.

"Her eye is pretty much healed. The black is almost gone. There's no ill effects," he said.

The toddler spent almost a week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Gislason said she hurt herself near the end of a church service at St. Paul's Lutheran in Cannon Falls on Dec. 19.

He said his daughter wandered into a room where children have adult supervision during the church service. The girl found a screwdriver, he said, and moments later another adult saw it sticking out of her left eye.

Doctors took four hours to remove it.

Now things are returning to normal, Gislason said. He's returning to work today and it appears Teagan will make a full recovery, including full use of her eyesight, he said.

"She's doing really well," he said. "We're so happy."

Courtney Blanchard • 612-673-4921