Abigail Taylor
Encyclopedia
Abigail Rose Taylor was a young girl from Edina, Minnesota
, whose accidental injury and eventual death led to new federal legislation in the United States to improve the safety of swimming pools.
in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Everyone was leaving the wading pool when Abigail Taylor accidentally fell on the open drain of the pool and her buttocks were sucked into the aperture. The suction dislodged a large section of her small intestine which was forcefully drawn out through the anus, a phenomenon known as transanal evisceration.
The incident was similar to a 1993 incident in North Carolina
involving Valerie Lakey, who was five years old at the time. The pool drains in question in the Taylor and Lakey cases were manufactured by Sta-Rite, a division of Minnesota-based Pentair
.
. Following the accident, Abigail was hospitalized and received a rare triple organ transplant
to replace her small intestine
, liver
, and pancreas
, all of which were damaged in the accident. She was unable to eat or drink, and she required total parenteral nutrition
. Abigail died nine months after the accident because of a transplant-related cancer. She was six years old at the time of her death.
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, whose accidental injury and eventual death led to new federal legislation in the United States to improve the safety of swimming pools.
Description of the incident
On June 29, 2007, Abigail Taylor's parents took her to the Minneapolis Golf ClubMinneapolis Golf Club
Minneapolis Golf Club is a golf club located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Designed by Willie Park, Jnr. and Donald Ross, the Minneapolis golf course opened in 1917. The club hosted the U.S...
in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Everyone was leaving the wading pool when Abigail Taylor accidentally fell on the open drain of the pool and her buttocks were sucked into the aperture. The suction dislodged a large section of her small intestine which was forcefully drawn out through the anus, a phenomenon known as transanal evisceration.
The incident was similar to a 1993 incident in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
involving Valerie Lakey, who was five years old at the time. The pool drains in question in the Taylor and Lakey cases were manufactured by Sta-Rite, a division of Minnesota-based Pentair
Pentair
Pentair, Inc. is a Golden Valley, Minnesota based company focused on water technologies and enclosures for electronic products. Its Water Technologies Group provides products and systems used worldwide in the movement, treatment, storage and enjoyment of water...
.
Aftermath
The incident has been described by some media reports as a "freak accident". However, the risk of this sort of accident has been published before in the United States, and cases in other countries have also been documented. Furthermore, Abigail's parents alleged that the golf club "was aware of the serious risk to swimmers in the kiddie pool [...] but did not take action to eliminate that risk". They also alleged that the manufacturer of the drain outlet was aware of the potential risk, but failed to issue adequate warnings. The family filed suit against both parties.Injury and subsequent death
Abigail lost 6.5 meters (21 feet) of her small intestine in the accident, leaving her with short bowel syndromeShort bowel syndrome
Short bowel syndrome is a malabsorption disorder caused by the surgical removal of the small intestine, or rarely due to the complete dysfunction of a large segment of bowel. Most cases are acquired, although some children are born with a congenital short bowel...
. Following the accident, Abigail was hospitalized and received a rare triple organ transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
to replace her small intestine
Small intestine
The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
, liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
, and pancreas
Pancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...
, all of which were damaged in the accident. She was unable to eat or drink, and she required total parenteral nutrition
Total parenteral nutrition
Parenteral nutrition is feeding a person intravenously, bypassing the usual process of eating and digestion. The person receives nutritional formulae that contain nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, lipids and added vitamins and dietary minerals...
. Abigail died nine months after the accident because of a transplant-related cancer. She was six years old at the time of her death.
See also
- 1000 Ways to Die: This TV program has a story in Episode 30 that was loosely based on the facts of the Taylor case, only the death happened to a male celebrity modeled after Mel GibsonMel GibsonMel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
. - The Final Destination: One of the death scenes in this movie resembles the Taylor case.
- Virginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety ActVirginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety ActThe Virginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety Act is a United States law named after the daughter of Nancy and James Baker and the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker III. Graeme Baker died in a tragic incident in June 2002 when the suction from a spa drain entrapped her under...