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BILLINGS - A 3-year old Laurel girl is recovering after a tragic accident involving a lawn mower. The family is staying strong, and receiving comfort from thousands of strangers through the Internet.

Addison Benson is pretty much your average little girl, she enjoys playing with toys, coloring and of course watching fairy-tale movies.

One thing you may not know about Addison is that she is a fighter. Just a few weeks ago this little girl was involved in a tragic life-changing accident.

Her mother fights back tears as she recalls that unforgettable day.

"It was just a regular morning and the girls love to ride with me on the lawn mower. They were playing with sidewalk chalk up on our patio, so I let them down. As I came by I checked on them, and not five seconds later, I rounded a corner where I had to stop and back up a little bit and it had knocked her over, and she was behind me, and I didn't know it," Andrea Benson explained

Addison was immediately air-lifted from her home in Laurel after the accident to St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings where she received extensive treatment.

"We were there 12 days. We underwent three surgeries. She has a double below the knee amputation and four skin graphs," Andrea Benson said.

Although the road to recovery will be a long one for Addison, the doctors are optimistic about her prognosis.

"Our biggest setback right now is her femur break. She has to be completely load bearing before she can try and start on prosthetics, her chances of that are looking very high," Andrea added.

Since the accident happened, the Benson family has been overwhelmed with the support they received from members of the community, including law enforcement, helping them with daily chores like yard work.

"There are more people here than I ever dreamed of. They have been very, very supportive in checking up on us and doing whatever they can for us," Andrea said. "It's been very heart warming."

The Benson family is also being comforted by thousands of strangers through an on-line non-profit organization called caringbridge.org. More than 9,000 people have continued to check up on Addison's condition through a daily journal posted by her family.

There are also pages of comments left by caring visitors offering words of encouragement during this challenging time.

"I am at a loss for words because they have just been fantastic", Andrea commented.

Addison has been home from the hospital for more than a week and the family is working on settling back into everyday life, which includes taking Addison for rides in her wheel chair which is her new favorite thing to do.

You can follow Addison's recovery, by clicking here.