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| On the day of her return to Fiji |
Victoria
is an 11 year-old girl from Labasa, Fiji who was badly burnt when her father
deliberately set fire to their home. Victoria’s mother sadly died from
the disaster and Vicky, with help from Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children
(ROMAC), was flown to Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital in New Zealand for
emergency surgery. She had burns to over 60% of her body, including
severe damage to her left ankle. Medical Director for ROMAC Dr Eric
Horne, of the Rotary Club of New Lynn, took special care of Victoria while she
recovered in Auckland, and personally ensured that she returned safely to
Lautoka Hospital after extensive surgery and recuperation.
But
Eric always wondered how Victoria would cope after such tragic circumstances
and whether she would ever be able to walk and laugh again.
The
following update was written by Eric one year later in June 2015:
“I
have just returned from a winter break in Fiji and while there, went up to
Labasa for the day to visit Vicky.
The
visit was with some degree of trepidation, as I was not at all sure what to
expect.
Vicky
and her brother Gavidi and their aunt met me at the airport.
I
was truly delighted to see that she could walk really well, although with a
slight limp.
She
is a totally different child from the one the Burns Team at Middlemore looked
after so wonderfully.
Victoria,
as she now likes to be called, is really a rather extroverted child who never
stops talking and sings in the choir at school.
She
had arranged for me to visit her school which is about 15 minutes from Labasa
in lovely countryside, and about 1km from their very nice house that her aunt
and uncle own. She walks to and from school every day.
The
school put on quite a show with singing and dancing.
Despite
missing a whole year at school, Victoria has caught up and is in the correct
class for her age. Her teacher, who knew very little of her experiences, told
me she was easily the best reader in her class, but needed to catch up on her
maths.
When
she left Lautoka Hospital in May 2014, her brother bought a wheelchair and they
flew up to Labasa.
Victoria
took her first steps in October, and was determined to walk without her stick
by the time she started school in January.
Four
weeks ago she was admitted to the local hospital for two weeks and had 21
pieces of wire removed from her ankle, and since then her walking has improved
hugely. Her ankle remains swollen and she can only wear crocks, but has
no pain at all.
While
there, she said to me, “I am going to run in the next school sports. I know I
will be last but I am going to run!”
She
is very happy living with her mother’s brother and his wife and two younger
children. This is the uncle who rescued her from the fire and who was also
quite badly burned.
Vicky
particularly mentioned Dr Richard and wanted me to thank all the lovely nurses
who looked after her at Middlemore Hospital and the ROMAC team that made it
possible. She mentioned lots of other names which I have forgotten.
It
was a very humbling day, and to be honest one of the very best of my life, to
see Victoria so well and happy.”
