Skiatook Family Recovering After Grandfather Killed In Horse Riding Accident

A couple weeks ago Terry "Alan" Mizell was thrown off his horse and died from his injuries a few days later. Now a Skiatook Family is dealing with the sudden death of a man they say gave so much to others. 

In a single moment, Jarrod Mizell's life forever changed forever with a phone call.

"She said hey, there's been an accident, I have the girls," said Jarrod.

His dad, 63-year-old Alan took his 8-year-old granddaughter Lilly tow her weekly riding session.

"A lot of times he wouldn't ride," said Jarrod.

But on August 24th he decided, bad knees and all, he was getting on a horse with Lilly rooting him on.

"He took a step ladder and went to crawl up on the horse and from what I hear the step ladder kinda brushed the side of the horse and before he was even fully mounted the horse reared up and launched him. He hit his head on the ground and lost consciousness," said Jarrod.

Alan was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery to relieve brain swelling but Alan never woke up again. He died from his injuries 3 days later.

“They told us he would never recover that anything that was my father was gone,” said Jarrod.

And that loss is just one part to this story. Now that Jarrod and Lilly don't have Alan they don't have any place to live.

"I imagine shortly after my dad's memorial service we will need to go ahead and start thinking about what's next and where we will go from there," said Jarrod.

Over the last few years, Jarrod separated from his wife, lost his job, moved in with this dad and started college. The only constant in his life has been Lilly.

"She keeps me, keeps me going she's my everything. It was my father's wishes for me to finish school and I'm going to finish school," said Jarrod.

A memorial service will be held for Alan on September 21st in Skiatook. A go-fund-me page is set up to help Jarrod and Lilly.