Teen hero saves hit-and-run victim

HERO, is not the word young Gabriele Ronchese would use to describe himself, but the modest Grade 11 pupil from Glenwood High is the reason a young girl, roughly his own age, from Whoonga Park who was run over by a car in a hit-and-run incident, is still alive and fighting for her life in hospital.

Paramedics on the scene alerted the school to Gabriele’s heroic act, which made him a celebrated hero at his school assembly ahead of the school holiday.

Gabriele told Berea Mail he had finished school late that Thursday afternoon exactly two weeks ago.

“I was looking for my First Aid teacher and had searched the whole school but just missed her so was annoyed because I was late. This whole thing is about being in the right place at the right time.”

Gabriele and his mother Jill were driving home along the bottom of Moore Road near the infamous Whoonga Park when they noticed a huge group of people in the road.

“I thought it was a riot and tried to peek through the crowd to see what was happening. I saw this girl lying on the ground jerking. I shouted to my mum to pull over, but she said no. I may be mad and it wasn’t safe but I insisted. I told her someone was hurt and I could help,” he said, recalling the dramatic event.

Visibly proud of her son, Jill said Gabriele had been very calm and insistent and despite her misgivings, she stopped the car.

“I don’t remember being calm, I just tried to call the police and an ambulance for help. I went into the middle of the crowd of people who were asking questions and shouting. They said the tyre of the car had gone over her head. The crowd surrounded us and I told them to move to give her some space and that I knew first aid and was going to help their friend,” explained Gabriele.

“She was lying in a pool of blood. The tyre had ripped most of the braids off her head and she was bleeding from her head. I checked her pulse it was faint and erratic. I was concerned about her airways being open as there was lots of blood and phlegm,” he said.

Gabriele said the police arrived within two minutes and helped control the crowd.

“The ambulance hadn’t arrived and I was scared she was going into shock because her ankle was broken and shoulder was also dislocated and she wasn’t responding at all to the pain.

“Her friend was always close so I asked him to get a blanket which I covered her with to stop her from going into shock. The crowd was getting angry, asking why the ambulance was taking so long.

“I was also getting increasingly worried after I called the ambulance the third time as her pulse was a lot weaker. I constantly feared that we would lose her if the ambulance didn’t get there in time,” he said.

Gabriele said the injured girl would breathe on her own and then stop.

“We didn’t move her because she was already in a foetal side position which kept her from choking on her blood,” he said.

When paramedics arrived they gave Gabriele a pair of gloves and he helped as they bandaged her head and fastened her neck brace. “I put the oxygen mask on her and helped them lift her onto the trauma board,” he said.

Filled with adenalin, the young schoolboy got the ride of his life in the ambulance holding the trauma board at an angle so that the patient didn’t choke as they sped to King Edward VIII Hospital. “I just prayed that she would make it,” he said.

“It was one thing seeing her lying on the road, but when we got to the hospital they allowed me to walk in with the paramedics as they took her straight to the trauma room.

“It was quite graphic and for the first time I could suddenly smell faeces, blood and vomit as they pushed a suction pipe down her throat to remove the blood and phlegm. The last thing I remember was the doctors cutting off her blood drenched clothes and putting a huge heated blanket over her. They said she was stabilised and we could go,” he said.

When he left the trauma room, the EMS paramedics thanked Gabriele for his efforts. “They asked me why on earth I had stopped in that area. I just said there was a life at stake and a life is valuable no matter, who, where or how.”

Concerned about the young girl’s progress, Gabriele discovered she had been transferred to Albert Luthuli Hospital.

“We finally found her in the ICU ward last Friday afternoon, she was in an induced coma. I wanted to know what was wrong with her and the doctor said she had a skull fracture, fluid on the brain, a fractured cheekbone and would need reconstructive surgery and would be lucky if she walked away unscathed. He said she was very lucky and if she made it till Monday she has a chance of recovering, although statistics were not in her favour.”

Gabriele, who is a member of the Durban Youth Council, said the incident had made him more vigilant about going the extra mile for people.

“Getting out and helping and being a good Samaritan only takes a little discomfort, but could save a life. My mum could have carried on driving and the girl could have died there.

“I really just want people to realise it’s not hard to stop if you have the training because you could give the person a second chance at life.”

Gabriele is in constant contact with the hospital for updates on the young patient.

“I am definitely going to meet her, I can’t wait for her to wake up because I want to be there to greet her and tell her, I’m really glad she made it.”

He hoped that if ever he was knocked down, someone would think of getting out to help him. “You never know, it could be you or your family members,” he said.