New hope for Kilner
ROB Heathcote has made an emotional trip to the intensive care unit to visit Leah Kilner and walked away amazed at what a tough fighter the seriously injured jockey is.
Accompanied by his racing manager Melanie Sharpe, who travelled around the world with Buffering, Heathcote was in awe of Kilner’s fighting spirit.
“Mel and I have been to the ICU at the Princess Alexandra Hospital to visit Leah,” Heathcote said.
“She has her mum constantly by her side with her dad and her bestie, Bianca, there to help her on this fight of her life.
“She is making good progress in such a short time since the race fall. “She is tough and she is a fighter. “The doctors are pleased with her progress. Thank you all for the well wishes and messages. Her family know of all the love there is for Leah. “It is a long road ahead for Leah.” On Monday, Kilner amazingly squeezed her mum’s hand when she briefly woke up from her induced coma in a sign which offered hope.
There are plans to bring her out of sedation for short periods.
Heathcote’s hospital visit came after Kilner’s father Greg spent time with Heathcote in the Eagle Farm trainers’ tower on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve had Leah’s dad here in the tower with me at Eagle Farm … Leah’s apartment is here at Eagle Farm so he has gone there to get something,” Heathcote said on Tuesday morning, before the hospital visit.
“He doesn’t say much, he is a very quietly spoken man.
“Leah has had a very restful night, she is still in a coma, but the doctors are happy enough. They are probably going to bring her out (of the induced coma) briefly today.
“The wave of emotion that flowed from her mum when she squeezed her hand on Monday was amazing, it was such a sense of relief.”
As Kilner continues to face a major health battle following a shocking fall at Grafton on Sunday, there will be another emotional moment at Doomben races on Saturday.
Heathcote-trained sprinter The Big Goodbye, which Kilner has won three races on including the last two in succession, will line up in a Class Six Plate.