An 8-year-old plummeted from the second story of an apartment building on August 26 at about 3.45pm.
An average Tuesday afternoon became a nightmare as mother of three, Alet Lourens, heard a blood-curdling plea for help just moments before her daughter hit the ground, fracturing her hip and foot. “I was making dinner when I heard my youngest son call for help. He told me she had fallen from the window; it was horrifying!” said an emotional Ms Lourens.
Ms Lourens said she immediately ran downstairs and held her daughter in her arms, despite being uncertain of injuries she sustained. She contacted a family member, who agreed to take care of her 11 and 12-year-old sons while she rushed her daughter to the hospital. “I was at the hospital day and night; I refused to leave her side. Instinctively, all I wanted to do was hold her and keep her safe,” explained Ms Lourens.
Ms Lourens questioned her children what happened on the near fatal day. “One of my sons was with me in the kitchen while his brother and sister were in the living room area. My daughter, as small and frail as she is, leaned out the window in an attempt to close it. Slipping out the window and hanging on for dear life, her brother managed to grab hold of her. Desperately clinging to her brother while he called for help, she lost her grip…,” said a clearly distraught Ms Lourens.
Ms Lourens and her children have since had to deal with harsh judgement and damning looks. “My son was interrogated by a parent at school. Expecting him to divulge the details of my daughter’s condition, the parent pressed him for information he simply did not have,” said Ms Lourens.
A local social media ‘gossip’ site allegedly contacted Ms Lourens after the accident, “They sent me a message on Facebook fishing for information on how my daughter was doing. I ignored the message; our family has been through enough in the last two weeks.”
As her daughter will have to undergo an operation, the family will travel to Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg over the weekend and wait anxiously to consult with the doctor on Monday morning.
“My daughter was born with dislocated hips and has undergone two hip surgeries in the past, making the operation all the more complicated.
“I have put my faith in the doctors and trust they will do their best to help my child,” said Ms Lourens.
Slamming claims her daughter had been thrown from the window by her brothers, a frustrated Ms Lourens said, “My sons would never do something like that to their sister. They had nothing to with it. It was a freak accident; it could have happened to anyone.”
Ms Lourens has been accused of child neglect since the community caught wind of her daughter’s accident. To this Ms Lourens responded, saying, “Being a single mother doesn’t make me a bad mother.
“People assume because I’ve lost most my sight, I cannot take care of my children. This couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Ms Lourens maintains she has nothing to hide and will not tolerate being accused of being a bad mother. “I feel I was judged too harshly.
“My children have clothes on their backs, I never leave them home alone, there is always food for them and they are given the love and attention they need.”
Ms Lourens is thankful her daughter’s injuries weren’t worse. “Despite her having to be in a cast for the next two months, she is alive and that’s all that matters at this point in time,” said Ms Lourens, breathing a sign of relief.
The Lourens family are aware of the financial and emotional hardships that lie ahead.
Ms Lourens’s daughter will only return to school next year, giving her ample time to recover from the operation.
“She needs to feel like a normal 8-year-old girl again,” concluded Ms Lourens.
On behalf of the Newcastle Advertiser, we wish her well on her road to recovery.
