Young WA school student Sam Moodie losing sight in right eye after being swooped by magpie

On a routine walk around his school oval in the South West, 12-year-old Sam Moodie was left fighting for his eyesight after a terrifying magpie attack.

Quiet, artistic Sam, who loved playing basketball with his brother and idolized Billie Eilish, was leaving school to meet his mother Nicole Moodie on Tuesday when the bird left him with a serious eye injury.

“She was walking across the school oval, which is where I would pick her and her brother up after work,” Ms Moodie told The West.

“A magpie had attacked him and hit him in the eye. You could see it was very, very painful.”

The severity of the injury required emergency surgery at Busselton Hospital, followed by another emergency procedure at Perth Children’s Hospital to remove the lens of Sam’s eye.

“The eye surgeon said the lens was starting to swell and it was getting serious,” Ms Moodie said.

“Then he had another surgery around 5 o’clock last night and it was a long surgery, we are currently staying in the hospital until the swelling goes down.

“We expect 12 to 18 months and potentially another seven or eight surgeries to regain most of the vision – but there are no guarantees.”

The incident shook the family and Sam’s younger brother is now afraid to play outside.

“He’s afraid of commitment,” Ms. Moodie said.

The magpie in question has a history of aggression at the school where it nests near the oval. Ms Moodie said complaints had been made previously but no action had been taken.

You don’t have to be looking at a magpie to be at risk.

Despite the trauma, Sam’s spirit remains intact.

“He’s brave. He’s accepted everything. He’s in a lot of pain but he’s doing fine for now,” Ms Moodie said.

“He’s such a beautiful boy and it’s such a sad thing… he can’t quite understand how long this is going to last, that he could even lose his eye.”

The single mother of four children also warned other parents.

“You don’t have to be looking at a magpie to be at risk,” he said.

“Sam wasn’t even looking at him; it’s just one of those unlucky things, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The unexpected injury created additional difficulties for the family.

“I work full time and this is holding me back financially,” Ms Moodie said.

“But Sam comes first. I have to do what’s best for him and figure out the rest as I go along.”

Ms Moodie’s close friend Zoe Beard started a campaign. GoFundMe To help the “kind, caring family” pay their medical bills for the next 18 months.

“My beautiful friend Nicole’s daughter Sam was attacked by a magpie… and it hit her directly in the eye,” Ms Beard wrote.

“Nicole is a single mom who works her ass off juggling to keep a roof over her kids’ heads.

“This lady is a super mom, but even super moms need help.”