Life after being hit by a truck

Looking at Lani Rongokea, it is hard to believe just six months ago she was fighting for her life after being hit by a truck.

The now 7-year-old doesn’t remember the horrific crash that fractured her skull, collapsed her lungs and caused internal bleeding.

Lani was six when she was struck by a light truck near the intersection of Katene St and Park Rd in the Palmerston North suburb of West End just after 10am on February 9.

She was rushed to Palmerston North Hospital, before being transferred to Starship children’s hospital in Auckland. She later had her spleen removed.

The incident was but a distant memory now, her mum Debbie Rongokea said, but the affects of the impact lingered.

‘‘It seems like it’s been a year or longer. I look at Lani every day and I still just can’t believe it happened.’’

The trauma to her head had left Lani with on going problems focusing, and she tires quickly.

She has returned to school for four half-days a week.

‘‘We’re slowing trying to build it up to get her doing one full day.’’

Lani said being back at school was great and she liked writing. The other kids asked her about her scar when she returned.

‘‘I told them I got attacked by a killer whale.’’

On their walk to school, the pair cross the street Lani was hit on.

Rongokea said Lani was very aware of where they were crossing.

‘‘We wait until it’s absolutely clear to get right across, but she’s quite anxious crossing it, she gets quite anxious crossing all roads now.’’

Lani said sometimes when she crossed the road, she did get scared.

‘‘But I just hold on to mum’s hand tight.’’

She still did not remember the incident, but Rongokea said Lani also didn’t like talking about it.

Lani needed a lot of time to rest and her siblings were still getting used to ‘‘quiet time’’, brought in when Lani needed a break.

‘‘Her brain probably won’t work the same way it would have if she didn’t have the accident,’’ Rongokea said. Since she was so young, Rongokea said Lani probably wouldn’t even notice the difference in future.

‘‘Talking to the physio, she was saying they normally give it about two years to see if there’s going to be a change or not.’’

On August 7, another 6-year-old, Jodeci Day, was hit by a ute towing a trailer as she walked home from school on Highbury Ave.

The impact punctured her bowel in three places, but she is on the mend in Palmerston North Hospital.

Rongokea said when she heard about Jodeci she was gutted. ‘‘I cried when I heard about that, I just cried.’’

‘‘‘It seems like it’s been a year or longer. I look at Lani every day and I still just can’t believe it happened.’’ Debbie Rongokea