More than £3,600 has been raised to aid the recovery of a five-year-old girl from Terrington St John whose foot was severed in a “horrific” lawnmower accident.

The accident happened on May 13 when Maisie May and her sister Poppy, four, were chasing their grandad’s ride-on mower when he was cutting the family’s grass.

But without realising they were chasing it, he reversed the mower and Maisie fell into its path. Her foot was thrown from the mower 30 foot and collided with the back of her mum’s leg.

Maisie’s mum Emma Baker, who is a former policewoman and wants to make people aware of the potential dangers, said: “At the time it sounded like the mower grinding a stone and I thought I was hit by a rock.”

She remembers feeling her training spring into action to save her daughter as she thought she was going to bleed to death: “I was so shocked and totally freaked but needed to be strong for my daughter.”

Mrs Baker said she “took control of the situation” and shouted for her dad to call 999 whilst attempting to stop the flow of blood to both of Maisie’s legs/feet.

“I was sat their in total fear that my daughter was going to bleed to death and didn’t know what I could do to save her,” she added.

“I told my dad to tell the ambulance that it’s not just a cut and that she has no foot and that we need help fast.

“My poor daughter Poppy had witnessed it all too. I needed more help but no phone on me and no free hands so I got Poppy to run next door to get her nanny Sarah as I needed ice and a towel to try and save Maisie’s limbs so that it may be possible for the doctors to get them back on her tiny helpless body.”

After the “amazing” paramedics put bandages on to hold the wounds, Maisie was then rushed to hospital - however due to the coronavirus restrictions Mrs Baker says things have been tough.

“As they will only let one parent with a patient at any time, no siblings are allowed to visit which I am totally gutted about as it has been pulling our family apart.”

She added that “Maisie and Poppy have been totally amazing. The strength that Maisie had was unbelievable; she is a extremely strong girl and to go through all that without passing out or crying was crazy. Both our daughters remember the whole incident start to finish which breaks my heart.

“This has been so hard on the whole family, but I dread to think how my poor dad is feeling in all this as he never once dreamed this would happen. As a family we have been totally traumatised.

“I had no idea of the dangers surrounding the ride on mower. My initial fears were that they could get knocked over - not that this would ever happen!”

Mrs Baker has since set up a fundraising page to help with her daughter’s journey towards recovery as Maisie has already had to undergo three hospital operations including 10-hour surgery to re-attach her left foot - as well as the big toe on her right foot.

And the team that is currently caring for her at Addenbrooke’s Hospital say she still needs more operations to try and reconnect the bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves and to monitor blood supply to the foot. Maisie will also be under a consultant for the next 15 years as they will need to monitor her progress.

Mrs Baker added: “I am so pleased she is her with us today and being a fighter, as this could of been an even more serious and potentially life threatening incident.

“I am totally heartbroken for my little girl. This is going be a long recovery for her and I feel so sad, sick and helpless at the moment and just keep crying.”

While Maisie has been making cards and gifts for other patients in the hospital and says she she is going to be a doctor when she’s older, her mum is trying to raise awareness of the importance of keeping children indoors when mowing.

“We want to make sure no one else will be hurt in this way again,” she added.

The JustGiving page has a target of £5,000; so far 146 people have donated to it. To donate click here.