Boy in coma after tree tragedy Page 3
EVERY night, Umbilo mother Jayshree Joshua sits at her son’s hospital bedside praying for a Christmas miracle. Her son, Aaryan Joshua, 12, has been in a coma at Life Entabeni Hospital’s ICU since December 10, after a tree branch fell on him while he was walking home from church.
His grandmother, Nancy Soobramoney, 61, was also injured and will undergo surgery at King Edward VIII Hospital.
“This is a tough time for me and my family. I was at work. Aaryan and his two siblings went to church with my mother. When they were returning home, they walked past the Queensmead Hockey Stadium, near the corner of Umbilo and Hillier roads, when a tree branch fell on Aaryan and my mom.”
Joshua said they were unable to move and her other children were frantic.
“The tree was damaged during the storm in October and the branch was on its last strand when it fell. Residents who were nearby and people from our church rushed to their aid. Paramedics treated them at the scene before taking them to hospital.”
Aaryan, she said, sustained severe injuries.
“He has a cracked skull. There is bleeding in his brain and it is swollen so badly that surgeons had to remove a portion of his skull to allow for the swelling.”
Joshua said her mother sustained a broken femur, which has left her bedridden. She is scheduled for an operation on Thursday.
Aaryan, who had just completed Grade 6 at Carrington Primary School in Umbilo, was looking forward to the school holidays and Christmas.
“This is so hard for us. My father and I are back and forth to both hospitals trying to be with my son and mother. All I want is to hear his voice again. Seeing him in this condition is too much to bear.”
Since he was admitted, Aaryan has undergone several scans and operations.
“I don’t know what condition he will come home in. He had his whole life ahead of him. My heart is sore because he has been robbed of his life. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer, surgeon or pastor. All we can do now is pray.”
His family wants the City to take responsibility for the serious injuries. “This is pure negligence on the part of the eThekwini Municipality and they need to be accountable for what has happened,” said Joshua.
Municipality spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa said the parks department had conducted a site visit and found no trees located in the street. “We cannot establish the actual location or find any evidence of a heavy branch in the street that could be the cause of any alleged injury,” she said.
“The matter was also never reported to the parks department, but we will investigate.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said the injured were taken to hospital in a critical condition. “We can confirm the incident. However, no case was opened.”