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28th November 2024
04:14pm GMT
The family of Wicklow woman Hannah Leonard has issued an update on her condition after she was hit by a car in Sicily.
The young woman was struck by a vehicle on the Italian island last month.
She was training for the Dublin Marathon when she was hit by a car at a pedestrian walkway during her long-distance run.
Ms Leonard suffered 'devastating brain injuries' as she landed on her head following the collision in Sicily.
She was training to complete the marathon ten years after her Dad completed it, both of them dedicating it to Hannah’s grandmother Caroline.
"After meeting with Hannah’s neurosurgeon on Monday, a week ago, we got a call from him on a Tuesday morning, the initial fear we got seeing his number come up on my phone quickly ebbed away when he started talking to me.
"Hannah’s surgeon had decided that he wanted to try a new approach to getting the infection in her cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) under control," he added.
Mr Leonard explained: "He wanted to replace the existing catheter as well as insert a second one, which would require surgery. We hopped in a taxi and went straight to the hospital, her surgeon put us at ease and allowed us to see Hannah before and after the surgery. After about an hour and a half, her surgeon appeared to tell us the surgery was a success."
He continued to explain that the aim of the surgery was to 'drain as much of the infected CSF as possible' to ease pressure on his daughter’s brain.
The family was met with ‘surprise and joy’ as the latest CSF returned clear of infection for the first time in five weeks, with just two more clear tests needed for Ms Leonard to undergo her next surgery on her road to recovery.
Mr Leonard wrote: "This is why I say that Hannah is a fighter."
"She continues to move her left eye, yawns a lot, moves her mouth, and we get some body movements as well. The care Hannah continues to get from all the staff at the hospital is just amazing," he concluded.
