Winder 2-year-old's skull reattachment surgery 'went great' - WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather & Sports

Winder 2-year-old's skull reattachment surgery 'went great'

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By Veronica Griffin - email
By Rebekka Schramm - email
Tripp Halstead, Source: Facebook Tripp Halstead, Source: Facebook

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Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite replaced a piece of 2-year-old Tripp Halstead's skull on Monday.

A tree limb fell on the toddler at a Winder daycare center in late October, causing a critical brain injury. At that time, doctors removed part of his skull, to help ease swelling.

The surgery, which began at 9 a.m. and ended around 2:00 p.m., "went great" according to his father Bill Halstead.

During the surgery, doctors also reset Tripp's feeding tube, moving it from his nose to his stomach.

In an update on Facebook Bill Halstead, said, "Tripp is out of surgery and getting ready to go from the recovery room to the ICU. Stacy and I are anxiously awaiting our first chance to see him, we are so proud of him for being so strong through all of this."

The anticipation of another surgery has his parents Bill and Stacy Halstead feeling mixed emotions.

"We get so excited by the fact he will have his skull back," Stacy Halstead said. "And then the seriousness of another operation kicks in. So it's very stressful. We keep positive thoughts. He's got tape all the way on the side of his face and tube. When they remove that, we'll actually be able to see his whole face for the first time."

For nearly six weeks, Tripp's parents have had to rely on pictures to see his smiling face.

They've shared those pictures on their Facebook page, where more than 100,000 followers keep up with Tripp's progress.

Ever since Tripp was critically injured, community support has continued to grow. A fundraiser softball tournament was held Saturday at Victor Lord Park in Winder.

The event started in the morning with 29 teams playing all day and into the night to raise money for the family.

Stacy Halstead was not able to attend, but her husband Bill Halstead was. He threw out the first pitch.

"He was amazed at how many people stepped up and were there playing softball for Tripp. It was just so heartwarming," Stacy Halstead said.

The organizers, Allison and Kenneth Lee, visited the Halsteads at the hospital on Sunday and presented them with a check for $6,300.

Stacy Halstead told CBS Atlanta News, "Generous acts like that allow me to stay by my son's side. We really appreciate all that everyone has done for us."

Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation).  All rights reserved. 

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