efq
16-03-2008, 02:24 PM
A mother whose young daughter will have an airgun pellet permanently lodged in her brain after being shot at close range is supporting a campaign for people to hand their weapons in.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1576920.jpg Somma Chapman was shot last year
Four-year-old Somma Chapman survived but suffered a stroke after the accident in Stoke-on-Trent seven months ago.
Her mum does not know who left the weapon in her home but it was discovered by another youngster who accidentally fired it.
"All of a sudden her sister ran downstairs and said 'Somma's fell down'," said Laura Chapman, her mother.
"I went upstairs and she was lying in a pool of blood with her head on the floor.
"If I'd have known there was a gun lying around I wouldn't have put them in danger, it's just scary."
Doctors decided it was safer to leave the metal pellet in Somma's brain than remove it.
"She's very lucky this pellet entered the head behind the ear and travelled all the way into the middle of the brain," said doctor Simon Parke.
"On the way it could have damaged blood vessels which could have been catastrophic."
In 2006, 12-year-old schoolboy Mitchel Picken died after being shot in the eye with a pellet in Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire police say youngsters and animals account for most victims and they are urging people to hand in their air weapons during a three-month campaign.
"Unfortunately, out of sight out of mind seems to be enough for a lot of parents" said Chief Inspector Phil Fortun.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1661023.jpg An x-ray showing the pellet
"They will put an air weapon in the cupboard, maybe put the pellets on a shelf in a cupboard next to the weapon and they are not going to be there 24/7 to watch over their son or daughter."
Dave Mills from the Airgun Training and Education Organisation visits schools to inform children about ball-bearing and airguns.
He has found many misuse them.
"Forty per cent of any class generally have got them," he said.
"When we ask how many use them, play with them, shoot them, then around 50 or 60% have.
"And when we talk about whose been shot by a bb gun then we generally find it is around 90%."
Somma is part of those statistics. The right side of her body remains weak, and she still has physiotherapy to strengthen her muscles.
But her family know her injuries could have been much worse, if not fatal.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1309453,00.html
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1576920.jpg Somma Chapman was shot last year
Four-year-old Somma Chapman survived but suffered a stroke after the accident in Stoke-on-Trent seven months ago.
Her mum does not know who left the weapon in her home but it was discovered by another youngster who accidentally fired it.
"All of a sudden her sister ran downstairs and said 'Somma's fell down'," said Laura Chapman, her mother.
"I went upstairs and she was lying in a pool of blood with her head on the floor.
"If I'd have known there was a gun lying around I wouldn't have put them in danger, it's just scary."
Doctors decided it was safer to leave the metal pellet in Somma's brain than remove it.
"She's very lucky this pellet entered the head behind the ear and travelled all the way into the middle of the brain," said doctor Simon Parke.
"On the way it could have damaged blood vessels which could have been catastrophic."
In 2006, 12-year-old schoolboy Mitchel Picken died after being shot in the eye with a pellet in Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire police say youngsters and animals account for most victims and they are urging people to hand in their air weapons during a three-month campaign.
"Unfortunately, out of sight out of mind seems to be enough for a lot of parents" said Chief Inspector Phil Fortun.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1661023.jpg An x-ray showing the pellet
"They will put an air weapon in the cupboard, maybe put the pellets on a shelf in a cupboard next to the weapon and they are not going to be there 24/7 to watch over their son or daughter."
Dave Mills from the Airgun Training and Education Organisation visits schools to inform children about ball-bearing and airguns.
He has found many misuse them.
"Forty per cent of any class generally have got them," he said.
"When we ask how many use them, play with them, shoot them, then around 50 or 60% have.
"And when we talk about whose been shot by a bb gun then we generally find it is around 90%."
Somma is part of those statistics. The right side of her body remains weak, and she still has physiotherapy to strengthen her muscles.
But her family know her injuries could have been much worse, if not fatal.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1309453,00.html