A mother fears she will never find her 10-year-old daughter again, in an artificial coma since she was mowed down crossing a street in Lachine, Montreal, eight days ago.
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“Not to see your child move for eight days, not to be able to look her in the eye or hear her voice… It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” breathes Stéphanie Ledesma.
Her 10-year-old daughter, Kyaa Guinto, was walking home from school when she was hit by a driver trying to cross Saint-Antoine Street, near the intersection of 32e avenue, in the borough of Lachine.
Unpredictable consequences
In addition to a fractured collarbone and several scratches, the girl suffered significant head trauma during the impact. In order to minimize the risk of sequelae, the doctors plunged her into an artificial coma.
“It is when he wakes up that we will be able to see the damage to the brain. Doctors say she could be back to normal life in a few months, or wake up and be a completely different little girl. I don’t know what child I will have,” laments the mother, in a voice that betrays her anguish.
Photo Stephanie Ledesma
Kyaa Guinto and her cat, Bella, during a cuddling session.
As of press time, Kyaa Guinto was awaiting further tests to help doctors understand her condition.
“If my daughter is here today, it is thanks to the staff of the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the good Samaritans who came to her aid during the collision. We are extremely grateful,” insists the mother.
Raising children’s awareness
On the day of the accident, Kyaa Guinto should have been at his basketball practice, which takes place every Wednesday after school. However, according to the parents, the establishment would not have informed them of the departure of their daughter, who was not authorized to leave alone.
“I don’t understand what my daughter was doing on the street. There’s always someone picking her up after basketball practice. His father was already on his way,” laments Mme Ledesma.
She claims to have often reminded her daughter of the instructions for crossing an intersection safely. But that didn’t stop the child from crossing the street where there was no crosswalk.
“My husband and I admit that Kyaa did not follow the instructions and that she shares some of the blame. But I don’t understand how, in a 30 km/h zone, where nothing can obstruct the view, the driver didn’t see my daughter crossing,” she wonders.
She hopes that by reading her testimony, parents and teachers will mobilize to make children more aware of road safety instructions.