A little girl called Sophie

Hi Tertia,

 

I have been reading your blog for ages and have emailed a few times. I just wanted to email you about a little girl in Sydney who has suffered not one, but two terrible accidents on her life. In Dec 2003 she was asleep in her daycare centre when an out of control car smashed through the centre and pinned her and another little girl underneath it. Little Sophie suffered burns to 85% of her body, lost both feet, most of one hand and an ear in the accident. Miraculously she survived and was able to begin school this year. Her recovery was slow, but she was making progress. Then yesterday afternoon, while being pushed across the road in a stroller by her carer, she was run over by a car on a pedestrian crossing near her home and once again is fighting for her life in hospital. Yet again her parents are maintaining a bedside vigil. You can read about it here... it's even made the papers in South Africa. Some kind person set up a guestbook called wishesforsophie.com where people can leave messages of support for Sophie and her family. I know that hundreds of people read your blog and I am sure that the knowledge that there are mothers all over the world praying for and supporting Sophie would help, in some small way, her poor parents.

 

Thanks to the blog reader for sending me this.  Get well soon, brave little Sophie.

 

Comments

[Amy]

What a terrrible story! I can't imagine that poor girl and her parents.

[anna v]

It's horrendous. I can't comprehend the pain her poor parents are going through let alone the pain that poor baby is going through.

[kel]

It's a horrible story and that poor girl has suffered so much in her short life.

Everybody here is talking about it. I went to visit my father in hospital on Friday night and the first thing he said to me was "Did you hear about Sophie?"

[~Lucy~]

Sophie is an amazing little girl and to have suffered such grave misfortunes, both times as a result of an elderly man driving a car, is just really inconcievable. Thanks for publishing this Tertia.

[Serina]

The good news is that today's reports on her condition are much better. She has some lung damage and today's tests will hopefully reveal that her heart wasn't damaged. Fingers crossed.
With the first accident, an elderly man lost control of his car and he hit the daycare centre, causing a fire. This time it was an 80 year old driver who hit her stroller as her carer wheeled her across the pedestrian crossing.
At the moment we have two men stuck down a collapsed mine and Sophie - our newsflashes are keeping us informed about both situations. Lots of praying in Australia today.

[Kez]

And now one of Australia's most senior journalists has just dropped dead during a press conference at the mine.

It is a bad, bad weekend here. Even my football team lost.

It appears Sophie is doing better though - unlikely to be severe brain damage, and although she needed twice her blood volume replaced, the bleeding has stopped.

Her father today asked people to pray not only for Sophie, but for all sick and injured children. He is an amazing man, to be thinking about others during a horrendous time for him and his family.

Sophie is the most incredible girl ever. She will overcome this.

[Andy]

I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. That poor little girl who has already suffered so much in such a short life. Her dad just amazes me.

[Sassy]

Here is the latest update about Sophie, an article from a year ago talking about her recovery and for those who didn't read about the original accident, here's an article of what happened and how they went about treating her then.

She really is an amazing little girl, she epitomises the Aussie battler. I just wish I could find a photo from her last birthday that I saw in a magazine. She was all done up with a pink glitter wig and was dancing to the Wiggles with her friends. I hope it's not long before she gets to dance again. I can't imagine what her parents must be going through.

[Sassy]

Latest news is her condition has been down graded from Critical to Serious. Good news even though it still sounds bloody scary.

[Sassy]

Just on the radio, she has just squeezed her Dad's hand which is the first time she's moved since the accident.