The Malta Independent on Sunday
A tragic fall with a happy ending
On 10 June, the Prior of the Augustinian Convent in Gozo, Fr Adeodato Schembri had the biggest shock of his life.
On his way to celebrate early Mass, he noticed a girl lying on the ground of the cloister. Her name is Elisa Ehrlich and she was with an international group of deaf and mute students who were being hosted at the convent. Elisa fell down from the first floor to the central cloister without anyone noticing her fall. As this is an old convent with very high ceilings, the girl fell from a height of over two storeys. Luckily, the prior found her just four minutes after the accident.
His quick action and that of the Gozo paramedics saved her life. He called the Gozo hospital for an ambulance, which was on the spot in a couple of minutes. In hospital, her condition was diagnosed as critical and she was sent to Mater Dei by helicopter for intensive therapy. This story hit the news and was reported in the local papers and TV.
Now this newspaper can reveal the happy ending of this story. The girl survived her trauma. She believes that her survival was both due to the care that she received first in Malta and then in Germany, but also to her guardian angels.
In fact, the medics did not think the girl would make it but after three days in intensive care she started showing signs of improvement and came out of her coma. Still there was fear that due to the fall Elisa would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
To the prior’s surprise, a few weeks after the accident he received an email from Elisa thanking him for all he had done but, most importantly, informing him that her life is returning back to normal. She also informed Fr Adeodato that she has started walking and playing again. She can surely thank her lucky stars but she prefers to attribute her escape from death or serious injuries to her guardian angels. Fr Adeodato decided to share this email to thank all those in Malta and Gozo, in particular the doctors and paramedics who were crucial in saving Elisa’s life and helped her return to her daily routine.