SillyDog701

[Antony]

Sydney's 5 year old girl Sophie Delezio was hit by a car again 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 an 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 (5th May) 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.



News: Little Sophie on life support (News.com.au)
Burns survivor Sophie Delezio hit by car (7 News)

SillyDog701 wishes Sophie well recovery.

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[Alain-Michel]

Antony,

From our family and from the depths of our hearts we extend to that loveable little child and her family our most fervent prayers for a swift and complete recovery.

I can't help but think, when I look at that angelic face, inspite of all the bandages and pain she has endured in her brief life, she can still smile.

The courage she displays under these most physically & emotionally challenging circumstances one could imagine , should be a model to which we should all attempt to aspire...

All The Best,

Alain

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[Antony]

Sophie Delezio's story perhaps was not as well known as [sdt=8598]Terry Schiavo[/sdt]'s feed-tub removal case, but she's only 5-year-old, and is defying the odds again.

Just some background:
In December 2003, then 2-years-old Sophie was hit inside a day care centre during day time. The driver was an elderly man. She lost some fingers, right ear and both legs.


On 5th May 2006, she was hit when she was in a push-chair crossing a 4-lane pedestrian crossing few metres outside the School Zone (40 kph zone). The first car stopped. A car driven by an 80-year-old man in the second lane did not stop, and threw her 18 metres away. Lucky, Sophie was helicoptered to Sydney Children's Hospital within an hour.

An 80-year-old Frenchs Forest man, who was driving the sedan that hit Sophie, has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm, and failing to give way at a pedestrian crossing.

He was treated for shock at Manly Hospital and is due to appear at Manly Local Court on June 15.

Staying inside a premise should be safe from traffic. It was not for Sophie. The road code says all cars should stop for people crossing pedestrian crossing.

Sophie is expected to remain in intensive care and on a ventilator for at least three weeks.

News: Brave little Sophie defies odds again (AAP, via Yahoo!7 News)

SillyDog701 wishes Sophie full recovery, and to all drivers, slow down.
(Edit: add pictures of Sophie's accidents, 2 Sept 2006)

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[James]

My wife and I will add this brave little girl to our poor prayers. Thanks for sharing this, Antony.

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[Antony]

Update:

Doctors should know today if Sophie Delezio's broken ribs have injured her heart.

The five-year-old remains in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of Sydney Children's Hospital after being involved in another car accident on Friday afternoon.

Sophie suffered a broken jaw and shoulder bone, bruising to her head, numerous rib fractures and bleeding around her left lung when a car ploughed into her pram at a pedestrian crossing on Frenchs Forest Road in Seaforth, in Sydney's north, about 4pm (AEST).

(source: Doctors await heart test, News.com.au)

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[Antony]

Update:
Sophie Delezio's condition has stabilised and doctors are hopeful the courageous five-year-old has not suffered any significant brain damage.

Sophie suffered a broken jaw and shoulder bone, bruising to her head, numerous rib fractures and bleeding around her left lung when a car ploughed into her push-chair (pram) at a pedestrian crossing on Frenchs Forest Road in Seaforth, about 4pm (AEST).

She underwent tests on Saturday afternoon to determine the full extent of her injuries from the horrific accident.

Doctors are hoping to know on Sunday if her broken ribs have caused damage to her heart, a spokeswoman for Sydney Children's Hospital said.

In order to reduce her pain, she will be put under medically-induced coma for three weeks for all the necessary operations.

News: Brave Sophie continues to amaze doctors (Yahoo! 7 News)

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[Antony]

Candles outside Syndey Children's Hospital:



Sydney Children's Hospital is about 500 metres from my place. I took this photo on my way home. The photo was taken with my Sony Ericsson K750i mobile phone (flash turned off) at midnight.

(Photo was cropped and watermarked with Photoshop Elements.)

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[Antony]

Update:

Sophie Delezio has spent another night in a critical but stable condition in a Sydney hospital following a car accident at a pedestrian crossing.

Five-year-old Sophie was being pushed in her pram last Friday when the accident happened on Frenchs Forest Road at Seaforth in Sydney's north.
Her jaw and shoulder bone were broken, her head was bruised, and she had rib fractures and bleeding around her left lung.

A spokeswoman for the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick said Sophie had spent her sixth night in hospital in a critical condition.

"Sophie has had yet another stable night in intensive care," she said.

"She continues to be listed as critical but stable."

Sophie still critical, but stable (News.com.au, 11 May 2006)

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[Tidus]

Hello everyone.

My heart goes out to little Sophie, and her family. I am a stepdad myself, to a lovely little girl called Jill, my company Chief Executive's 5 year old daughter.

Nothing has ever happened to her, i can't imagine how Sophie's family are feeling.

It has propmpted me to say how sick i am of drunk drivers, my wife's stepbrother Richard was killed by a drunk driver 8 years ago, and she still cries herself to sleep at night. I just see it on the news that someone has been killed by a drunk driver, or a joyrider, and i can see the sadness in Kas's eyes, remembering what happened to her stepbrother, she saw it all happen.

I heartily hope Sophie gets better soon. God bless you sweetheart

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[Antony]

Titus,
Thanks for sharing your family story with us.


(photo from News.com.au, Sophie Delezio attending school, File)

Good news for Sophie Delezio, her condition has improved.

Burns survivor Sophie Delezio's condition has improved a week after she was hit by a car on a pedestrian crossing in Sydney.

Her condition is now listed as serious but stable, an improvement on the critical listing she'd had since last Friday's accident.

For more detail, Brave Sophie Delezio no longer critical (News.com.au)

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[Antony]

A good news to report, Sophie Delezio is out of coma.

Five-year-old Sydney girl Sophie Delezio had emerged from her drug-induced coma and smiled at her mother, doctors said today.

(...)

Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick intensive care unit director, Barry Duffy, today said Sophie had started to regain consciousness about 2pm (AEST) yesterday after her medication was wound down.

"Really this morning is the first time she is starting to relate and spontaneously smiled to her mum," Dr Duffy said.

He said she was expected to be out of intensive care in two to three days.
"She was able to breathe for herself yesterday," Dr Duffy said.

"She is tolerating feeds given through a tube into her tummy

For more detail: Smiling Sophie out of coma (News.com.au)

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[Antony]

A good news to report, Sophie Delezio walked out of hospital today, almost five weeks after a second accident in which she was hit by a car on a Sydney pedestrian crossing.

news: Smiling Sophie heads home (News.com.au 8 June 2006)

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[Tidus]

I'm so glad she is now alright, i'd been following this story in the news ever since it happened.

God bless you Sophie, and may God keep you safe forever more.

I just hope no more poor souls have to go through this. We should do more to stop drunk drivers being even allowed to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when over the limit, even when above the legal limit. Too meany good people are getting killed like this every day, and it is extremely saddening.

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[Antony]

Sophie will be back to school next week. And on Sunday (16 July), Channel Seven's True Stories will have a special on Sophie Delezio.

Five-year-old Sophie Delezio will head back to school next week, less than three months after being hit by a car for the second time.

Sophie was released from Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick on June 8, after being run down and seriously injured by a car on a crossing near a school on Sydney's north shore.

She will attend Balgowlah Heights Public School next week, after a second attempt to graft skin to the base of her skull was a success, News Limited newspapers report.

"Her rehab has gone well and she is elated about going back to school," her mum Carolyn Martin was quoted as saying.

(Source: aap)


True Stories - Sophie's Story (8:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Seven)

Most Australian's have heard of Sophie, the five-year-old Sydney girl involved in two horrific car accidents. While some of her journey has been documented, the family have chosen to keep most of it private, until now. Since the second accident True Stories has captured the remarkable recovery of this brave little girl. As well as her amazing spirit, we've witnessed an incredible determination from her mum, Carolyn, dad Ron and big brother, Mitchell. For the first time we hear the intimate story of Carolyn Martin, Sophie's mum. She talks us through the last few years, where she's been by Sophie's side 24/7 as primary carer. We also capture Sophie's important rehab visits and critical hospital check-ups. Sophie's story will certainly make you smile and may even make you cry, but there's one guarantee - you will be inspired.

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[Antony]

The 80-year-old motorist who hit Sophie Delezio on 5th May this year pleaded guilty today.

John George Sharman's lawyer Shane McAnulty told the court his client had been driving up hill into the glaring sun and had not seen the pedestrians.

According to a number of witnesses, Sharman was driving at slow speed of 40kph at the time, the applicable speed limit in the area was 60kph.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/060816/2/105rw.html :

Man pleads guilty over Delezio crash

An elderly motorist has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm over the car crash that left Sydney burns survivor Sophie Delezio seriously injured.

Five-year-old Sophie spent almost five weeks in hospital, recovering from multiple injuries, after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing at Seaforth, on Sydney's northern beaches, on May 5 this year.

John George Sharman, 80, of Frenchs Forest, instructed his lawyer to enter the plea in Manly Local Court on Wednesday.

The court was told that two other charges laid over the incident - of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and failing to give way to a pedestrian at a crossing - would be withdrawn.

Sophie was still recuperating from another serious accident when the car struck her push chair as she was being helped across the Seaforth crossing.

In December 2003, she suffered horrific burns and lost both her feet after a car crashed into her preschool and burst into flames.

Sharman's lawyer Shane McAnulty told the court his client had been driving up hill into the glaring sun and had not seen the pedestrians.

He said it was "a case of momentary inattention" and that Sharman had been distracted by the sun.

Mr McAnulty said in 62 years of driving, there was only one blemish on Sharman's record, a 2004 speeding matter.

A number of independent witnesses to the collision indicated that Sharman had been driving about 40kph at the time of the crash - 20kph below the applicable speed limit in the area.

Magistrate Andrew George said he was not prepared to deal with the matter before reading the prosecution brief and obtaining a pre-sentence report.

"Let's assume that it was any other child - I still think I'd want to see the benefit of a pre-sentence report," Mr George said.

He adjourned the case to the same court for a sentencing hearing on October 20.

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