The blinking red light that hangs at the centre of the shadowy intersection of Torquay and Ash roads in Gordon Head has been there for years.

It blinks as a warning of the crosswalk there, but for the friends and family of Leila Bui, it blinks as a reminder of the devastating . Leila still hasnB次元官网网址檛 come home, something her family is hoping could happen in as soon as four to six weeks, though itB次元官网网址檚 unknown if sheB次元官网网址檒l ever recover to a cognizant state from the neurological damage she suffered on that fateful Wednesday morning.

It was a little after 8 a.m. on Dec. 20, a school day, when Leila headed out the door just ahead of her big sister, 14-year-old Quyne, from their home at the intersection of Ash and Torquay. The two were scheduled to catch their usual morning ride to Arbutus middle school with the parent of a student who lives across the street. It was a sunny morning and the intersection was a mix of glaring sun and blackening shade as the low winter sun poked through the areaB次元官网网址檚 heavy tree canopy and bounced sharply off sections of wet pavement.

Saanich Police are still investigating the incident and have released little details to date (itB次元官网网址檚 common for an investigation of this nature to take several months). WhatB次元官网网址檚 known is that the driver of a Mercedes SUV driving eastbound along Ash Road hit Leila as she crossed Ash. Her small frame was thrown several metres ahead and she landed unconscious on the road, nearly in the path of an oncoming sedan.

LeilaB次元官网网址檚 mother, Kairry, believes in her heart that her rule-respecting Leila, a cautious kid, was using the crosswalk. Quyne was catching up and was still making her way out the front door when Leila was hit.

B次元官网网址淚 would be really mad if I knew it was partly her fault for being careless but sheB次元官网网址檚 not, B次元官网网址� sheB次元官网网址檚 not that type of kid,B次元官网网址� Kairry said.

. SheB次元官网网址檚 endured nine surgeries, mostly in those first few weeks, including a craniectomy, where a bone flap was removed to relieve pressure on the brain and create room for the swelling. She also had her spleen removed, though the surgeon had initially tried to fix the rupture. She was also transferred to B.C. ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital in Vancouver to have her spine stabilized where it meets the base of the skull. A section of the spine was badly fractured, her mom said. All this while also having a pressure probe in her brain that monitored the pressure and would actually draw fluid out to allow for more room for swelling.

B次元官网网址淭he medical team slowly took her off the drugs to see if sheB次元官网网址檇 wake up on her own, and she did,B次元官网网址� Kairry said. B次元官网网址淲hen she first opened her eyes, they were glazed and drugged eyes.B次元官网网址�

There is still a lot of uncertainty around LeilaB次元官网网址檚 state. She opens her eyes but only sometimes will she respond to neurological stimulation. Until she responds every time, the doctors remain pragmatic. She is entirely fed and medicated through a B次元官网网址済astro-tube,B次元官网网址� or G-tube, and cared for 24-7, which involves shifting her position in bed every three to four hours.B次元官网网址�

Sometimes she looks your way when she hears you talk, but often times she doesnB次元官网网址檛.

B次元官网网址淚 wouldnB次元官网网址檛 say the doctors are overly optimistic, they donB次元官网网址檛 want to give us a false hope,B次元官网网址� Kairry said.

It doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter, her family remains hopeful regardless. LeilaB次元官网网址檚 mom and dad, her three siblings, Quyne, Myla, 9, and Jace, 6, and the rest of her family hold out hope that she will slowly recover. TheyB次元官网网址檝e grown in a new direction, overcoming the trauma.

Kairry has been by her daughterB次元官网网址檚 side since the beginning. TheyB次元官网网址檝e been able to stay at Jeneece Place most of the time, and whenever Jeneece Place was full, Kairry would stay and the dad would take the kids back and forth between home, to sleep, and the hospital. This week Leila is being transferred to the Sunny Hill Health Centre at B.C. ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital for a planned four to six-week stay. Sunny Hill provides specialized rehabilitation services for children with physical, motor or sensory development issues or a brain injury.

B次元官网网址淢y husband and I are there with her, we watch her all the time, see little improvements and other things doctors donB次元官网网址檛 catch,B次元官网网址� Kairry said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of it is a parentB次元官网网址檚 hope that your daughter comes back to you the way she used to be, or closer to the way she was. ItB次元官网网址檚 difficult. Three doctors oversee her and they have their opinions. ItB次元官网网址檚 a long road and not something that will happen any time soon.B次元官网网址�

Looking ahead, the family has looked into the needed renovations so Leila can come home and continue her rehabilitation. TheyB次元官网网址檒l add a ramp, or two, and upgrade the bathroom.

B次元官网网址淲e are so very appreciative for Jeneece Place, which allowed the kids to stay with us a quick step from Leila and for not splitting us up,B次元官网网址� Kairry said. B次元官网网址淭he nurses give great care, and the social worker there is great, searching for funding to help us out with the new renos to help for Leila.B次元官网网址�

Help Fill a Dream also helped out, donating funds to help the Buis with their stay in Vancouver and towards renos so the family can afford to bring Leila home.

In the meantime Saanich Engineering is carrying out a series of improvements to upgrade the Torquay and Ash intersection this month. To be clear, Gordon Head ResidentsB次元官网网址� Association had already registered its concerns about the safety of the intersection, though LeilaB次元官网网址檚 situation certainly weighed heavily over the Administrative Traffic Committee meeting in January (which was booked prior to Dec. 20).

Coming to the intersection within 30 days are flashing beacons in conjunction with the pedestrian crosswalk on the east side of the Ash Road and Torquay Drive intersection, an additional street light in the north east quadrant, a temporary speed reader boards at various locations along Ash Road (by Saanich Police), a stop bar on the southbound approach, brush removal in the northwest quadrant, and installation of B次元官网网址渃rosswalk aheadB次元官网网址� warning signs on the Ash Road approaches to the intersection.

reporter@saanichnews.com

- This story has been updated to amend that the blinking light at Ash and Torquay is not new, as erroneously reported in the Saanich B次元官网网址 print edition on April 18.