A New Jersey family is mourning the tragic loss of their 6-year-old daughter, Lucy Morgan, who died in a freak accident while on vacation.
The incident occurred while Lucy was watching her family play badminton
During the game, a racquet suddenly broke during a downward swing, and a piece of metal from the handle snapped off, striking Lucy in the skull and causing a catastrophic brain injury.
Lucy’s father, Pastor Jesse Morgan, shared the heartbreaking details on his blog, New Creation Living. He recounted how June 1 started like any other day during their family vacation in Limerick, Maine. However, the day took a fateful turn, and now he believes his little girl is with Jesus.
The family quickly realized the severity of Lucy’s injury. Jesse explained on his blog that after the metal piece struck Lucy, she was immediately unresponsive but was still breathing on her own. His wife, Bethany Morgan, accompanied Lucy in the ambulance to a small hospital before she was airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland. They knew Lucy’s life was in grave danger.
“Upon arrival she went right to the operating room where they removed part of her skull to relieve pressure and deal with her injury. She coded, they got her back, and they completed the surgery,” Jesse wrote on his blog. “In the PICU we are being told that there is a very slim chance she recovers.”
Jesse Morgan shared that his daughter had recently expressed a desire to be with God. Just a month before the accident, Lucy told her parents she wanted to be saved and live with God. Jesse wrote that Lucy asked her mother about being saved, and after a brief conversation, she went to her room to pray.
“She went to her room and prayed to God to forgive her and that she believed in Jesus’ death and resurrection. What a gift,” he wrote.
Despite the medical efforts, Lucy never recovered from her injury. Jesse explained that the metal piece had caused devastating damage due to where it pierced her skull. Doctors informed the family that she would likely not survive.
The day before her death, he wrote, “The significant lack of brain function over the past 48 hours demonstrates this reality that we are utterly devastated by. If there is any good news in this, it’s that she hasn’t felt any pain over the past few days.
“We will keep waiting on the Lord, getting second opinions, and exhausting every possible avenue while crying out to God for a miracle,” he added. “However, as of now, our beloved daughter has been showing all the signs of brain death for the past few days. There is a very good chance that she passes away and meets Jesus within 24 hours.”
In the wake of this tragedy, the family has been surrounded by love and support. Many people took to social media to share kind words about Lucy and her family. Dan Cruver, a former professor of Jesse Morgan, spoke highly of Jesse’s character in a Facebook post.
“Jesse Morgan was a student of mine when I taught Bible and theology at Clarks Summit University 18 years ago. I remember quite a lot of students, but there are a few that you remember because they frequently engaged you after class and asked thoughtful, insightful questions,” he wrote. “Jesse was one of those students.”
To support the family, loved ones created a GoFundMe account which has surpassed its original goal of $100,000 and is nearing a new goal of $130,000, with more than $125,000 in donations so far.
Organizer Jill Anthony wrote, “This page serves as a place to provide them extravagant financial support – to help pay for meals while they are away from home, lodging for family, medical costs … whatever they need.”
Anthony added an update: “June 5, Lucy went to be with the Lord. Please keep praying for the Morgans as they walk through these next days, weeks, months, and years without their sweet Lucy here with them.”
Dana Plato’s cause of death, confirmed
Warning: This article talks about a possible suicide. Please read carefully and take care of yourself.
Dana Plato was born on November 7, 1964, in Maywood, California. She was an actress best known for playing Kimberly Drummond, a caring character, on the popular TV show Diff’rent Strokes, which ran from 1978 to 1986. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she became a teen idol.
Aside from Diff’rent Strokes, Dana appeared in many other TV shows and movies. According to IMDb, some of her TV appearances included The Six Million Dollar Man (1975), Family (1976), What Really Happened to the Class of ’65? (1978), Hello, Larry (three episodes), The Facts of Life (1979), CHiPs (1979 and 1980), High School U.S.A. (1983), The Love Boat (1974), and Growing Pains (1985).
Dana Plato appeared in several movies, including Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Return to Boggy Creek (1977), California Suite (1978), and Prime Suspect (1989), along with some smaller, less known films.
Sadly, Dana passed away on May 8, 1999, in Moore, Oklahoma, at just 34 years old. People wonder what led to such a heartbreaking and early end to her life.
How did Dana Plato die?
According to her IMDb bio and other sources, Dana Plato’s death at first seemed to be an accidental overdose of the painkiller “Loritab.” But 13 days later, on May 21, 1999, a coroner ruled her death a suicide because of the large amount of drugs in her system and her past attempts to take her own life. Some of her friends and people who knew her disagreed with this ruling.
On the day Dana Plato died, she had just done an interview with Howard Stern, hoping it would help restart her career. She and her fiancé, Robert Menchaca, who was also her manager, were on their way back to California in their motor home. They stopped at Menchaca’s parents’ house in Moore, Oklahoma, for a Mother’s Day weekend visit. Dana wasn’t feeling well, so she took some Lortab (a painkiller) and a muscle relaxer, then went to take a nap with her fiancé. When he woke up, he found her unresponsive next to him.
Dana Plato had been dealing with substance abuse for many years before her death. Her difficulties were often linked to the fact that she struggled to find more acting roles after Diff’rent Strokes ended.
We hope she has found peace now.
If you or someone you know is going through a tough time or is in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. For international crisis resources, check the link provided.
Leave a Reply