Mum-of-five was left holding her nose after it was ripped off with her jaw after a half-ton of hay bales crushed her as she fed horses

A mother-of-five had her nose and jaw torn off after half-ton (1,500-pound) hay bales crushed her while she was feeding horses.

Rachael Howen, 42, was helping out at her boyfriend’s local horse ranch when the accident happened on the morning of June 13.

Ms. Howen, a receptionist from Kansas City, Missouri, sat with her nose “in her hand” and her face “torn open” and now faces months, if not years, of surgical procedures.

The mother of five believes the hay bales were stacked three high and the accidental avalanche could have been caused by vibration, heat or even moisture changes in the air that caused the hay to swell.

The 42-year-old suffocated under the hay bales and screamed for help, terrified and thinking only of her children, as the upper jaw or upper leg of her jaw had been ripped away.

Ms. Howen, a receptionist from Kansas City, Missouri, sat with her nose “in her hand” and her face “torn open” and now faces months, if not years, of surgical procedures. Pictured: Mrs. Howen after the horrific accident

Howen suffered “severe facial trauma” from the accident, transforming her from a “young, beautiful mother” into someone people are now “scared” of because of her looks.

Mrs Howen said: ‘I was crushed under the hay bales, there was at least 1,500 pounds (107 stone) on top of me. The weight was so heavy that my face was immediately pressed down.

“A friend could hear me screaming into it, but the screaming was muffled because I was surrounded by hay. She tried to get the hay off, but couldn’t.

“I lay there crying in the dark. My nose was in my hand, my face was completely ripped open. Another friend came by.

“The fact that I made it out alive with no brain damage, I’m so thankful for that.”

A friend tending to a sick horse heard the receptionist’s muffled screams and was able to call 911.

When the ambulance arrived, it took her to Centerpoint Medical Center where she was visited by her children before transferring her to Research Medical Center where they performed surgery on her later that evening.

While the mother is grateful to be alive, she says she no longer has “pretty” looks, claiming others thought she was only 28.

Rachael said, “I couldn’t speak because my face was lit up. I gestured with my hands to indicate that my neck was okay as I wanted them to help my face.

Commenting on how the injury has changed her, Rachael said, “I used to be beautiful. I was used to people constantly thinking I was much younger. I am 42 and people often thought I was 28. People don’t want to hear that I look ugly, but that’s not normal. No one wakes up in the morning with a completely different face. It’s your identity. Who I am hasn’t changed, but people are afraid of me now. Pictured: Rachael in hospital in the aftermath of the hay bale avalanche

“My nose was ripped off. It cut up to my right eye and all the way to my lip.

“My upper jaw, which contains my teeth, had broken out and was hanging. I only have four teeth on the top, my two back molars.

‘I used to be beautiful. I was used to people constantly thinking I was much younger. I am 42 and people often thought I was 28.

‘People don’t want to hear that I look ugly, but that’s not normal. No one wakes up in the morning with a completely different face. It’s your identity.

“Who I am hasn’t changed, but people are afraid of me now.

“It’s hard to go to my kids’ sports games. I used to be the young, beautiful mother and now I am the handicapped mother.’

Months later, Rachael is still having trouble breathing and has to sleep in an armchair because her nose will “collapse” when she lays down due to gravity.

Talking about how her life has been dramatically changed by the accident, Rachael said, “Breathing is a struggle. I can only breathe out of one side of my nose, but I’m thankful that at least my nose is back on my face.

The mother of five believes the hay bales were stacked three high and the accidental avalanche could have been caused by vibration, heat or even moisture changes in the air that caused the hay to swell

“I can’t sleep in my bed because gravity is constricting my nose too much. I have to sleep in a recliner to stay upright so I can breathe.

‘My life will never be the same again.

Rachael hopes by sharing her story she will remind others of the dangers of hay bales and that children in particular should avoid playing with them.

She added, “I did what I’ve always done to feed the horses. It was just an accident.’