brave little Sophie was hit again
from AntBlog701

brave little Sophie was hit again

Sydney's 5 year old girl Sophie Delezio was hit by a car yesterday. She was horrifically injured when a car crashed into her daycare centre in December 2003. She was only 2.

In December 2003's accident, Sophie Delezio was severely burned, she lost both legs, some fingers, and right ear. She suffered third degree burns to 85 percent of her body. She underwent months of operations and painful rehabilitation, but captured people's hearts with the cheerful way she dealt with her injuries.

Sophie was struck by a car on a pedestrian crossing 4PM yesterday and was thrown 18 metres by the impact. She was airlifted to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.

Sophie Delezio went to school on 31 Jan this year, and celebrated her 5th birthday on 24th April.
Join our discussion in SillyDog701 Message Centre.

Little Sophie on life support (News.com.au, 6 May 2006):

Little Sophie on life support
SOPHIE Delezio, the five-year-old Sydney girl who suffered horrific injuries when a vehicle ploughed into her daycare centre in 2003, is again expected to pull through after being struck by a car.

Doctors said last night Sophie's injuries were not as serious as first thought but she would remain on life support for several weeks as she recovered from her latest ordeal.
"We are optimistic that the injuries she sustained are unlikely to be life-threatening but they are very substantial injuries," Sydney Children's Hospital acting executive director Dr Michael Brydon told reporters.

"Sophie, thank God, isn't as badly injured as we first thought.

"She still is very unwell, she's got some serious injuries, particularly to her chest and legs. However, the head injury that we thought was very serious doesn't appear to be as serious as we first thought."

Ron Delezio said his daughter was hit by a car on a pedestrian crossing on Frenchs Forest Road in Seaforth, in Sydney's north, about 4pm (AEST) today. Sophie, who had been in a push-chair at the time, was thrown 18 metres by the impact, an ambulance officer on the scene said.

Dr Brydon said Sophie had "quite a few broken ribs", a badly bruised lung and one of her legs had a very serious fracture.
She remains unconscious and heavily sedated at the Randwick hospital.

Sophie lost both feet, some fingers and suffered third-degree burns to 85 per cent of her body when she was trapped under a car that crashed into the Roundhouse Childcare Centre at Fairlight, on Sydney's north shore, on December 15, 2003.

She underwent months of operations and painful rehabilitation, but captured people's hearts with the cheerful way she dealt with her injuries.

Dr Brydon said hospital staff, and "the whole of NSW, the whole country" had been rocked by Sophie's latest misfortune.

"The team that are looking after her are doing their darnedest to make sure she makes it another recovery," he said.

Tonight, he said her fortitude had impressed everyone. "I think the world is marvelled by this young lady," he said.

"She is one could hardly say lucky, in that anyone who has two serious injuries out of the blue like this would be one of the most unlucky people I've met.

"However, she is certainly surviving yet again and thank God she is.

"She is doing a great job."

Sophie's parents had earlier been rushed inside the hospital, with her mother Carolyn urging people to: "Say a prayer for our little girl".

Dr Brydon later said the Delezios had asked that everyone continue those prayers and respect their privacy.

"We'd like to pass on the immediate wishes of the parents that they would certainly like everybody out there to continue their prayers," he said.

"Sophie has been through a very serious ordeal and those prayers, they believe, will help her immensely."

The parents of Molly Wood, Sophie's friend who also was hurt in the Roundhouse accident, visited the hospital tonight to support the family.

Dozens of well-wishers also flocked to the hospital, lighting candles and saying prayers and leaving cards for Sophie.

Thousands more had called the hospital and talk-back radio to offer their messages of support after news of Sophie's accident broke.

Mr Delezio told Macquarie Radio Sophie had been in her push-chair when she was hit.

"She was in a pram crossing the road and someone didn't stop," Mr Delezio said.

"It just hit the pram."

Police have appealed for information from witnesses to the accident involving a Holden Apollo sedan, which stopped at the scene.

A police spokesman said an elderly male driver was assisting investigators.

Andie Lovegrove said she saw a motionless child lying metres from the pedestrian crossing.

"I did think she was dead and her carer was screaming `Somebody help me, help me, somebody'," she told the Nine Network.

Craig Davis, the principal of Balgowlah Heights Public School where Sophie started kindergarten this year, said he was unable to think straight after hearing the news.

"Our hearts go out to her parents. She's a gorgeous girl," Mr Davis said.

"The community will be behind her 100 per cent, obviously our thoughts are with the parents, but she's a fighter."

NSW Premier Morris Iemma tonight telephoned the hospital to offer his support to the Delezio family, a hospital spokesman said.

"I have a daughter the age of six, it's just distressing, considering what Sophie's already been through. As Ron's already said publicly, how much more has a little girl got to go through," Mr Iemma told Macquarie Radio.