Hull schoolgirl hit by car misses start of term

AN EIGHT-year-old dancer who was hit by a car has been forced to stay at home while her friends returned to dance class without her.

Emily Credland suffered a fractured skull and was left fighting for her life after she chased a ball into the path of a car last month.

Surgeons at Hull Royal Infirmary carried out an emergency operation to remove a blood clot, saving her life.

Emily is still unable to walk and has been told by doctors she will need to use a wheelchair for at least another six weeks.

As well as missing the first week back at Stoneferry Primary School, Emily has been left upset at missing the start of the new term at the Northern Theatre Company where she danced tap, ballet, modern and street.

Emily's father, Neil, 40, said: "She's upset about missing the start of school, she does love school.

"But what has really hit her hard is that Northern started again on Monday and she really loved dancing.

"It's really upset her not being able to return to dance class.

"They had an enrolment day and she was due to do a solo dance but obviously couldn't."

The recovery process for Emily is likely to be slow due to the damage to her pelvis, which she broke in two places.

"To look at her, you wouldn't think anything was wrong," said Mr Credland. "All the bruising has gone and she has healed up well, but she still can't walk and gets very tired.

"It's very frustrating for her seeing her friends go to school after the summer and she is still laid-up at home."

The accident happened while Emily was playing in the front garden of her friend Katie's house in Foredyke Avenue, east Hull, on Saturday, August 11.

The children were bouncing their ball in time to music coming from a party at a house opposite when the ball rolled from the garden into the road.

After she was rushed to hospital, Emily's parents were warned she may have suffered brain damage.

But, after just a week in hospital, Emily returned to her home in east Hull and is expected to make a full recovery.

However, she is likely to be laid-up until at least October 3 when she has an appointment at Hull Royal to check her progress.

"She is not allowed to walk until then and will require physiotherapy," said Mr Credland.

"She is really angry with herself, she has been snappy which just isn't her.

"At the moment, she also blames everyone else for being in this situation. She should realise it was an accident, which could have been avoided, but it was no one else's fault but her own – but she is only eight.

"She's really quite down, she doesn't like people staring at her when she is out in her wheelchair.

"We've been taking her out but we've been doing it in small doses for her.

"Now she knows how people who use a wheelchair feel."

Emily's right eye is still working independently of the left eye due to her head trauma. However, doctors have told her it will get better.

Since Emily's accident, other parents in Foredyke Avenue have launched a petition calling on drivers to slow down.

Despite the driver in this case not being at fault, Emily's family are supporting the petition.

The petition is available to sign at the Watch Hospital shop in Carr Lane, city centre.