Sophia Taylor is back running around her yard in Crofton and acting just like any other normal three-year-old less than a month after suffering serious injuries during a fall at Ladysmith含羞草研究社檚 Transfer Beach Park.
Sophia is mostly oblivious to what含羞草研究社檚 happened to her during an interview I conducted with her and mom Selina at their Crofton home Thursday. They only returned home last Friday from a three-week stay at BC Children含羞草研究社檚 Hospital in Vancouver where the prognosis for Sophia at first didn含羞草研究社檛 look good.
I asked her about the incident and the hospital, but like any young child she wanted to talk about other things once she got to know me.
A deer walking through the yard provides a distraction for an active young mind.
含羞草研究社淚 want to pet it,含羞草研究社� said Sophia.
Sophia and brother Elija, 4 1/2, are curious about my camera and notebook. Sophia含羞草研究社檚 concentration on the interview ends at that point and Selina takes over.
She has two other children, Gabriel, 7 1/2, and Zoee, 6, who are both in school at the time.
It含羞草研究社檚 a busy family and Selina is relieved the scare from the incident did not result in any permanent brain damage for Sophia after she fell 20 feet onto concrete.
含羞草研究社淭he brain is amazing,含羞草研究社� said Selina.
含羞草研究社淔or her, she still has some speech that needs to be worked on in speech therapy. Her balance has come back for the most part.含羞草研究社�
Selina has noticed some frustration on Sophia含羞草研究社檚 part with her speech.
含羞草研究社淪he will think about what she wants to say and sometimes it won含羞草研究社檛 come out,含羞草研究社� Selina said.
There is no need to return to BC Children含羞草研究社檚 Hospital for a follow-up, but there will be some therapy and a further assessment on her brain injury to be done in April.
But other than that, things worked out far better than could have been expected, with subtle differences.
含羞草研究社淪he含羞草研究社檚 a lot more emotional than she was before,含羞草研究社� observed Selina.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 still kind of in shock over the whole thing. I含羞草研究社檝e been in the hospital for three weeks with her. The first week was the worst. It含羞草研究社檚 so nice to be home and in our usual routine.含羞草研究社�
After the interview heads, I含羞草研究社檓 heading toward Chemainus and it hits me I should have had a picture taken of myself with Sophia. One day she含羞草研究社檒l need a reminder of her first newspaper interview and I wanted to record it as being among the most memorable and heartwarming stories I含羞草研究社檝e done because of her remarkable recovery.
When I return to the Taylor house later, Sophia immediately recognizes me and gives me a big hug. It含羞草研究社檚 an uplifting moment amid some of the troubling times we含羞草研究社檝e been experiencing.
