Scalped in shearing shed accident: The rally to help beautiful Casey

COUNTRY girl Casey Barnes was hard at work when tragedy struck. She asked for help and has been overwhelmed. Warning: Graphic

WARNING: Graphic

A NSW woman who lost a large part of her scalp in an accident at a shearing shed has been overwhelmed by generous offers of help.

Gilgandra girl Casey Barnes has received more than $30,000 from members of the public to fund her recovery. On Tuesday night, she asked for those still wishing to donate to instead put the money towards Christmas.

Her horror started when she was tramping down wool as her shearer father and boyfriend worked nearby.

Her gorgeous head of long, curly hair tied back in a bun, the young rouseabout was packing freshly-shorn fleeces down to make more room in the wool pack when it happened.

Somehow, a piece of her hair became caught in the electric motor above her head. The belt-driven motor drives a shaft which runs the shearers’ shears.

As the motor caught her hair, and tightened its grip, Casey’s scalp came with it, ripping away from the back of her head and above her eyes and ears.

It took seconds. Then, as the devastation sunk in, the emergency rush from country to city began. Gilgandra, in central west NSW, is a five-and-a-half hour drive from Sydney.

That being unfeasible, Casey was flown to Sydney for 20 hours of emergency surgery to attempt to save her scalp.

Afterwards, she lay in an induced coma. Doctors hoped limiting her head movement would help the healing process. More surgeries followed. But her scalp could not be saved.

Now, hopes are pinned that surgery which has attached artificial skin to her scalp instead works.

As the waiting game continues, the bills mount. But help has arrived courtesy of a GoFundMe page set up by Roseanne — the sister of Casey’s boyfriend Boyd.

Casey Barnes and boyfriend Boyd as Casey recovers in hospital. Picture: Supplied

“Both Casey and my brother are from country towns hours from Sydney. As a shearer and a roustabout, not only is it bloody hard work, but if it rains you don’t get paid.

“There is no such thing as annual or sick leave in the industry. you don’t work you don’t get paid.

The money — which topped $30,000 on Tuesday night — will be used for “accommodation, food and travel expenses while family are needing to be based at Sydney to be with our beautiful, brave, happy-go-lucky-giggle Casey,” Roseanne wrote.

In typical unassuming country fashion, the fundraising goal is a modest $20,000.

As it headed towards $35,000, Casey and Boyd asked that there be no more donations.

“Casey says the money that you were going to donate, put it towards your own Christmas. They would like to whisk everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,” Roseanne posted in an update to the page.

“Casey and Boyd would like to thank you all from the bottom of their hearts for everyone’s messages of support and donations. They would like too keep everyone updated on Casey’s progress through this page. They are overwhelmed with the amount of money raised by all you kind, generous and beautiful people and they thank each and everyone of you.”

She said Casey’s first reaction to her artificial skin was “OMG I look horrible”.

“However, our high-spirited champion’s positive attitude and witty personality quickly came to the forefront and these words came out of her mouth: ‘I look way better than when I first came in here’.

“The next hurdle is the waiting game to see if the artificial skin will take, but so far so good.”