In 2017, pop star Britney Spears’ niece, Jamie Lynn Spears’ daughter, Maddie, was hospitalized in New Orleans Hospital, but why was she hospitalized, and how did she almost die?
Jamie Lynn Spears’ daughter Maddie almost died after flipping the ATV she was driving into the family’s nearby pond in Kentwood, LA. Luckily, she regained consciousness and made a full discovery after being hospitalized.
Read more below about the incident that Maddie almost died in and discover what happened in the aftermath of the event.
The Fatal ATV Crash
When Maddie was eight, she flipped her ATV (all-terrain vehicle) into a pond after driving over a drainage ditch. Due to an inability to swim, the youngster almost came face to face with death by drowning as she spent two minutes underwater, despite her parent’s efforts to free her from the seatbelt in her ATV.
According to People, when Maddie was hospitalized, she fell into a coma but fought through it and came through showing no signs of neurological damage. In a statement obtained by People, a rep for the family said,
“With her father, mother, and stepfather by her side, Maddie regained consciousness mid-day Tuesday, Feb. 7 [2017] … Doctors were able to remove the ventilator today, and she is awake and talking … It appears that she has not suffered any neurological consequences from the accident.”
When Maddie came around from the coma, a friend of the family described the miraculous moment, detailing how everyone was brought to tears.
The Aftermath
As Maddie was leaving the hospital after pulling through a coma, Extra reports detail that she was able to walk by herself and only had slight bruising to her neck.
In a heartfelt tribute, Maddie’s mom, Jamie posted an image with the paramedics, John Fortner and Victoria Ragoonath – who saved her daughter, standing alongside Maddie, she said:
“I want to acknowledge all the nurses, doctors, and first responders out there who go above and beyond every day to save lives. I am forever grateful that God sent these 2 angels to us on this day 3 years ago, because the life-saving decisions they made in the critical moments was a big part of Maddie still being here. Thank you, John and Victoria, and thank you to all the hero’s out there doing what you do today and every day.”
Are ATVs Suitable For Young Children?
In 2012, Tenenbaum from The Consumer Product Safety Commission told NBC News, “Every year 700 people die and 136,000 go to the emergency room because of ATV related injuries.” Tenenbaum even went as far as to brand ATVs “filth.”
And the commission even warned that the vehicles are dangerous, but are they suitable for children?
Technically, no they’re not unless the child is using an age-appropriate model. Officials say that ATVs are not supposed to be driven on paved roads, as you run the risk of them overturning.
Should Maddie Have Been Riding The ATV?
At the time of the incident, TMZ obtained an instruction manual for the Polaris RZR 170 – the model the Maddie was riding – which states that no child under the age of 10 should be permitted to drive or be a passenger in the vehicle. Maddie was eight at the time she was riding the vehicle, so technically, she shouldn’t have been riding that specific ATV.
Despite this, it’s clear Maddie’s mom didn’t have any malicious intent in letting her daughter drive the ATV, although it might’ve been the case where she hadn’t read the instruction manual beforehand, and let’s admit – it’s something we all sometimes do.
Either way, lessons have been learned, and it’s clear that Jamie feels immensely indebted to the paramedics who saved her daughter and has demonstrated this on multiple occasions where she’s expressed her gratitude to John and Victoria on her Instagram.