Holiday ends in hospital
A woman hit by a car as she walked with her four children through a West Coast supermarket car park has had major surgery to save her leg.
Emergency services were called at 4.15pm on Tuesday after an elderly driver hit Chelsea Ferguson and her 4-year-old daughter, then drove into the side of the New World supermarket on Westport’s main street, Palmerston St.
Ferguson’s cousin Samantha Coe said the child had a broken collarbone and wrist and was being monitored for concussion, but would make a full recovery.
Ferguson suffered serious injuries to her leg and was flown to Nelson Hospital, where she underwent a lengthy and complicated surgery.
Her other children and the driver were uninjured.
Ferguson is a Kiwi living in Australia, and was visiting family in New Zealand with her four children, aged 8, 6, 4 and 2.
They had been in New Zealand for less than a day when the incident happened.
Coe said Ferguson’s husband arrived in New Zealand on Tuesday night to be with her in hospital.
She was stable and would soon be flown to Christchurch for further specialist treatment.
Coe has set up a Givealittle page to support the family and help with the financial cost of their mortgage and other expenses while they remain in New Zealand for Ferguson’s recovery and rehabilitation.
Ferguson’s injuries included a broken femur and shin and damage to her arteries.
‘‘This short holiday has turned into a nightmare . . . Chelsea will likely spend several weeks in hospital and undergo further surgeries in attempt to save her leg and regain function.’’
Coe said her cousin was a ‘‘super woman’’ who had been a surrogate for a couple in Australia earlier this year.
‘‘Chelsea is an incredibly selfless and beautiful person. She always puts others first. Chelsea was a surrogate mum this year and is the most amazing mum to her own four children under 8 . . . I don’t know how she does it.’’
Ferguson’s husband, Matt, said he wanted to send a ‘‘massive thank you’’ to everyone who had supported the family and donated on the fundraising page.
‘‘We will be forever grateful and it just shows how good humans are. A massive thank you to all medical staff [and] those who helped in the immediate aftermath and got us this far,’’ he said.
Sergeant Georgie Ware previously said police were investigating the crash and the car had been impounded for inspection.
‘‘Chelsea is an incredibly selfless and beautiful person. She always puts others first.’’
Samantha Coe, cousin