WA 2-year-old loses foot to lawnmower at daycare, DCYF revokes license
QUINCY, Wash. - For months, FOX 13 Seattle has been looking into how a two-year-old got maimed by a lawnmower at a Quincy daycare.
While the facility was closed during the investigation, FOX 13 Seattle has now learned the state has revoked the daycare’s license to operate completely.
On June 24, Stacey Elliott got a call from her son Mateo’s daycare, that would change her son’s life forever. "The daycare had told me that there had been an emergency," Elliott said. She said Rodriguez Daycare in Quincy wouldn’t tell her anything else, except that her son was at the Quincy hospital.
She later found out Mateo’s foot was lodged under a riding lawnmower and had to be amputated.
"The child lost the right foot, and the lawnmower kind of ran up the right side of the little boy," said Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green.
Mateo was transported to Harborview Medical Center, then later to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
"I wanted to take the pain away from him as much as I could, but you can’t," Elliott said.
While Mateo was in the hospital, he suffered from infections, internal bleeding and did several stints in the ICU, according to Elliott. After 81 days, the two-year-old was able to go home.
"Sometimes he’ll have nightmares screaming, and asking for me, saying ‘Mommy, mommy help me, I’m stuck," Elliott said. "This never should’ve happened, especially to a two-year-old."
So how does this happen? FOX 13 Seattle asked Chief Ryan Green how a child gets close enough to an operating lawnmower.
"The property owners were out mowing the lawn and, for whatever reason, the kids were outside, and the young man came running up to the lawnmower and tragedy struck," Green said.
He said to his knowledge, the Rodriguez Daycare had no prior issues.
"I believe the Rodriguez Daycare has been well known here in town and a lot of activity there, kids like it there, and they’re a well-known family here that we haven’t had any issues [with]," Green said.
On Sept. 20, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families revoked Rodriguez Daycare’s license. The department could not comment further.
FOX 13 Seattle reached out to the daycare several times, but never heard back.
Fast-forward to now, and Mateo is doing better. He started physical therapy and is waiting for his wound to heal before he can use his prosthetic, but what happened five months ago will stay with the two-year-old for the rest of his life.
"I just want people to be more careful about mowing their lawns around and making sure children aren’t present," Elliott said.
The family has a GoFundMe set up to help them pay their bills, as well as get a wheelchair ramp built for Mateo.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Driver arrested after DUI crash on I-5 near Milton, WA
Spotify Wrapped 2024: When can users expect their end-of-year recap?
Biden pardons son Hunter’s gun, tax charges
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees lights up in Tacoma
When does winter really start? It depends on who you ask
WA teen's cold case murder solved 36 years later through DNA tech
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 livestreams from across the nation.