A young girl who was severely injured during last November’s stabbing attack in Parnell Square has been discharged from hospital nine months later.
In an update posted on the GoFundMe page set up for the girl, her family wrote that on Friday, August 30, “after 281 days, we were discharged from Temple Street Children’s Hospital”.
“Today we begin a new chapter in our darling’s rehabilitation (or as we call it ‘The Gym’),” they wrote.
“The hope is that she is able to swallow food, move her arms and legs more purposefully, and utter some more sounds.”
The girl, who was just five years old when the attack took place, visited home just once since her hospitalisation in November, according to another update posted over the summer.
“We got to bring our baby home for a visit. It was the first time since November that she was in her room,” her family wrote.
“We were able to move to an adapted home, so it was also the first time she saw her new neighbourhood and house. It was a big step towards bringing her home for good… a very emotional one. And she did not disappoint. What a warrior!”
Asked by some why her recovery had taken so long and whether “she will be the same little girl as before,” the family said the “human brain is a very complex organ”.
“Deprive it of oxygen for too long and the body suffers. The longer it takes to get it working again, the longer it is to regain function. Our little warrior has a few things going for her: she is young, she was a healthy girl before this all happened, she has a great team working with her, a loving family, loving friends, and prayers from all over.
“She has improved so much already during this period. We have learned the beauty of patience and perseverance,” they wrote.
Two other children and their carer were also hospitalised following the attack, but were subsequently discharged.
Riad Bouchaker (50s) has been charged in relation to the attack.