'Miracle' recovery of crash girl

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7295966.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A nine-year-old girl critically injured in an horrific bus crash which killed her cousin has spoken for the first time since the accident.

Grainne Mallon suffered serious head injuries after a lorry and her school bus collided on the Ballygawley Road in Cabragh, County Tyrone, on 27 February.

Her cousin, Nicola Murray, 16, was killed. Grainne's father, Christy, said his child's recovery was a miracle.

He said her first word since she had regained consciousness was "daddy".

Christy Mallon described the moment he saw his daughter, the eldest of four children, lying "lifeless" at the back of the bus.

"I knew that she was a very strong girl and she would fight," he told the BBC.

It is limited yet what she is understanding and I don't want to be putting her under too much pressure at this stage Christy MallonFather

Grainne was taken to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children for emergency surgery.

But her family were told that she might not make it through the operation and were asked about organ donation.

Since then, Grainne's family have been keeping a 24-hour vigil at her bedside.

Her recovery has amazed everyone.

Her father said: "Grainne is gaining strength every day. She is a miracle as far as I'm concerned and the nurses and the doctors, we didn't think she would have come out of it as fast.

"She can sit up with a bit of help. She can take some potatoes and soup. She can drink and she seems to be making plenty of sense. She is listening to her music.

"We just can't believe this has happened, we are so glad."

Nicola Murray, 16, was killed in the accident

Mr Mallon has called for major safety improvements on school buses, including American-style flashing lights that would warn drivers a school bus is slowing down.

He revealed that his daughter does not appear to remember the accident and had not been told of Nicola's death.

"I don't even think she would understand because we mentioned her own brother and sisters, and we tell her her brother and sisters... are okay and they are alright and she doesn't even comment on that," he said.

"It is limited yet what she is understanding and I don't want to be putting her under too much pressure at this stage."

Roads Minister Conor Murphy has met police since the accident to discuss putting fixed speed cameras on the road.