Brave Birmingham youngster proves she’s a fighter after horror crash
BRAVE Birmingham youngster Labeebah Islam has proved she’s a fighter after proudly visiting nurses who helped her walk again.
The bubbly four-year-old suffered horrific injuries after she was hit by a car in August 2011 – just weeks away from her third birthday. The accident left the youngster fighting for her life with doctors only giving her a slim chance of survival after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Labeebah spent six months at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and then a further seven months going through rehabilitation at The Children’s Trust in Surrey.
Fast forward a year and a half later and Labeebah is fully on the road to recovery.
With mum Shaheela, dad Syed and older sister Maahirah by her side, the youngster made an emotional visit to The Children’s Trust in Surrey to reunite with the nurses who helped her walk again.
Shaheela revealed the family made the decision to take Labeebah back to The Children’s Trust for a visit because the youngster “wouldn’t stop talking about the nurses.”
“She was really happy to see everyone, and was asking to see those who weren’t at the Trust that day,” Shaheela tells The Asian Today.
“She wanted pictures taken with the nurses and when we show her the photographs she know’s exactly who is who.”
Holding dad Syed’s hand Labeebah was all smiles as she walked the whole length of the corridor at the Trust in front of beaming staff.
It was a monumental journey for a young girl who just months earlier was fighting for her life.
The day of Labeebah’s accident brings back painful memories for Shaheela.
“It was my birthday on that day and it was Eid as well,” Shaheela recalls.
“I was working and my husband, Labeebah and Maahirah were going to pick me up from work. My husband had his car across the road from the house, and he couldn’t find his car keys and he just let go of Labeebah for one second. The next thing she was gone, he grabbed her from the coat, but the coat came off and couldn’t get her.”
Labeebah was rushed to hospital as doctors battled to save her life.
Suffering horrific injuries Labeebah was unable to breathe by herself and underwent an operation to relieve pressure on her brain.
The youngster spent six months at Birmingham Children’s Hospital before she was transferred to The Children’s Trust to begin rehabilitation.
“My husband stayed with Labeebah because they gave us accommodation,” says Shaheela. “I used to go every two weeks on a weekend with my other daughter.”
Slowly Labeebah began to show signs of progress.
“She started to understand and she knew who mom and dad were and she recognised immediate family,” recalls Shaheela.
“At the Trust there she started to know more, she knew what was going on. She knew that she had to stay there, so that she could get better, start walking and talking.”
Alongside the dedicated team at The Children’s Trust Labeebah began to undergo sessions to help her walk and talk. A team of workers helped the youngster through speech therapy, music and movement therapy and physiotherapy.
It was a long journey for the Islam family, with Labeebah allowed to return back to her home in Small Heath last October.
Back in Birmingham Labeebah continues her physiotherapy at Sheldon’s Brays School and is continuing to make progress.
“At school she walked from her nursery, to the main school, which is quite a long distance, which is amazing,” says Shaheela.
An amazing fete accomplished by an amazing little girl!
