Virginia chef loses hand to meat grinder

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA — The kitchen can be a dangerous place. That lesson was driven home to a chef in Virginia last week when she lost her right hand to a meat grinder.

Allie Redshaw, 27, and her husband, Ian, work as chefs at Lampo Neapolitan Pizzeria in Charlottesville.

On March 1, Redshaw was grinding meat for a dish when her hand got caught in the meat grinder. The machine mercilessly pulled her hand further in, as her colleagues rushed over to turn it off, CBS 6-affiliate WTVR reported.

Redshaw was rushed to the University of Virginia’s hospital for surgery, but the hospital’s hand specialist had no choice but to amputate her hand. Redshaw is now recovering in the university’s hospital.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help to pay for Redshaw’s mounting medical expenses. The page has received more than $100,000 in donations in just four days.

The Redshaws have also received help from Charlottesville’s restaurant community. Charlottesville’s Draft Taproom even donated its weekend tips to the GoFundMe page, CBS 13-affiliate Newxplex reported.