Queensland toddler Nevaeh Austin, who was left on a Central Queensland bus for six hours, appears to be defying the 5% chance of survival she was given by doctors – and now her family want answers over the near-fatal incident.
The three-year-old was left in the back of a bus on a sweltering day outside her childcare centre in Gracemere. Now breathing on her own, the family want answers.
The toddler remains in intensive care in a stable condition at the Queensland Children’s Hospital after she was revived on the floor of Le Smileys childcare centre Wednesday afternoon in Gracemere, south of Rockhampton.
Her grandmother Ms Parker said she is angry and doesn’t understand how it happened, after she was “forgotten” by staff at 9:30am.
“You do not expect a phone call saying ‘I’m sorry’. That doesn’t cut it. It’s not good enough.
“This is a little girl. She’s someone’s daughter. She’s someone’s granddaughter. She’s someone’s sister. She’s someone’s best friend.
It comes after police revealed Nevaeh was the only child driven on the Central Queensland childcare centre bus before she was left inside for about six hours, she was then found unconscious in 28 degree heat around 3:15pm.
Ms Parker says she will fight to ensure this never happens again.
“I’ll make sure this never happens again. I’ll die fighting for it. I will give up my life for my grandchildren. I’ll give up my life for my children,” she said.
The toddler’s mother and father remain at her bedside at a children’s hospital in Brisbane, where she was transported by air on Wednesday. Her father, Shane Austin, shared doctors are treating Nevaeh for possible kidney failure and are conducting a deep brain scan.
He said his daughter was the loudest and most energetic child and at the heart of her daycare centre but remains gravely ill, adding that the family were deeply distraught. Doctors have confirmed the child is in a stable condition.
Detective Inspector Shadlow did not want to speculate as to whether Nevaeh would make a full recovery.
“We will leave no stone unturned in relation to the investigations,” he said.
“We will also have photographic and our scientific, forensic officers attending the scene [on Thursday], just so we can cover every base and get to the bottom of exactly what has happened.”
The team will also look at who was coming and going from the centre throughout the day. Detective Inspector Shadlow said the staff involved were “cooperating to a degree”, but legal advice had been sought.
Images: Nine
This article first appeared on OverSixty.