[ad_1]
SUPPLIED
Royal Sciascia, 11, at Starship Hospital.
Four weeks ago, Royal Sciascia dove into her school pool with the kind of glee the 11-year-old was known for.
He broke his neck and is unlikely to walk again.
Royal’s head hit the bottom of the Pōrangahau school pool, breaking three vertebrae. She was airlifted from the town of Hawke’s Bay south to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, and later to Starship Hospital in Auckland, where she underwent two six-hour surgeries.
Her father Nick is with her. His aunt, Renee Sciascia, said Royal had spent three weeks in intensive care and was diagnosed with incomplete C6 tetraplegia.
READ MORE:
* One dead after a three motorcycle accident in Hawke’s Bay.
* Boy rescued from pool Napier died in hospital
* WorkSafe Investigation of Near Drowning in Napier Pool
“She’s been told that she will be in a wheelchair from now on, but that won’t stop her from trying, and there is a possibility, because she’s so young, that things will get better than she thought,” Renee said.
“We hope and pray that it moves into its upper half, that it gains a form of independence,” Renee said.
supplied
Royal Sciascia before his accident. “She is very cheerful and outgoing,” says her aunt, Renee Sciascia.
There are promising signs. He has regained movement and was even able to play a few keys on a piano in recent days.
“She is not your average 11-year-old. She is very mature for her age. She is very cheerful and outgoing, but also the type of girl who is always taking care of others. If there was a stranger in the crowd, she would make sure they weren’t left out, ”Renee said.
“He has always liked to dance, sing, kapa haka, play the guitar. The performing arts are his vibe. When it comes to ‘eyes on me, let’s sing and dance,’ that’s her, “he said.
Renee speaks to him frequently on the phone.
“She is really bubbly and cheerful. The nurses come early and sit with her because she is so much fun. Her father has discussed reality with her: that she may not walk again. She accepts it, but doesn’t give up. “
Royal will spend at least six months on Starship.
“After that, who knows. We’ll see. We’re taking it one day at a time right now, ”Renee said.
Renee has created a Givealittle page to help Royal and her whānau with their recovery.
