When you think of dangerous tools around the house a lawn mower probably isn't the first thing that jumps to mind.
But tens of thousands of people are injured each year in mower accidents across North America.
Kenleigh Merritt was six-years-old when she got her legs caught under a riding mower.
"It scared me so much. My whole life was frozen fear," she said. "I was crying so hard, it was so scary to see all that blood."
Kenleigh is one of 77,000 people rushed to emergency rooms each year in the United States, Canadian statistics show that 23 per cent of lawn mowing injuries involve children under 15.
Doctors at Kenleighs hospital treat five to ten people each mowing season.
"The classic story that you hear is, there was a clog and I was just going to free it up a little bit and the hand or sleeve gets pulled into the lawn mower," said pediatric surgeon Dr. Whitney McBride.
Consumer Reports mower expert Peter Sawchuk says blade-tip speed can exceed 200 miles per hour.
"Mowers today have safety features that will help prevent you from contacting the blade. Never disable any of these or override them."
Flying objects also pose a danger. Consumer Reports mowed over several golf balls and found that sharp pieces flew more than 100 feet away, So be aware of the direction the discharge is pointing. It's just another reason to always keep children and pets away from mowing.
Also never drink and mow. A recent survey found that 12 per cent of people drink beer while they're cutting the grass, that impairs both judgment and reaction time so don't do it.
As for Kenleigh, after eight surgeries, she still faces more. Her parents hope that telling their story helps others.
"I think about it every day. And every day I wish it didn't happen, but it did," said her father John. "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
