Luke, the miracle child

Seven-year-old Luke Micallef runs around the football pitch as his father looks on at the scene he never thought he would witness again after his son suffered serious brain injuries three and a half months ago.

Up to a few weeks ago, Luke was using a wheelchair but he is now regaining the coordination skills he lost when he fell a height of five-metres at Chadwick Lakes limits of Rabat in November.

Now that Luke is on the fast track to recovery, and his energy is back, father and son joined forces to campaign for safer playgrounds and recreational spaces.

Luke thinks fences should be installed around dangerous areas at Chadwick Lakes. “There need to be fences because you will fall... Children or people can fall,” the young aspiring goalkeeper says, his cheeks flushed as he takes a short break from his football practice at Ta’ Qali.

His father, Robert, agrees and is appealing to the authorities to set up a group of experts who regularly check playgrounds and recreational spaces to ensure they are safe for children.

“Sometimes you have to think like a child... Children like walking off paths and prefer passing through grass... I’ve noticed playgrounds with bolts sticking out of the back of benches that are face-level for children,” he says, adding he believes his son’s accident could have been avoided had more attention been paid.

Luke suffered serious head injuries after falling headfirst onto a pile of rocks when he was frightened by a chihuahua during a Sunday family outing on November 28.

“I had just looked to see that Luke was not near the edge. Then I looked away for a second and the next thing I heard was my wife, Katrin, scream... I called the emergency number and ran to the edge and saw him down there. It was a difficult spot to get to,” the distraught father had recalled soon after the accident. In fact, Luke had to be lifted out by Civil Protection Department personnel with the assistance of paramedics.

The boy spent about two months in hospital, including 10 days in intensive care. His family was not sure he would make it because he had fractured his skull in three places and was bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears.

But the little fighter managed to pull through and his family later learnt he had damaged the part of his brain that controls balance and coordination. They were not sure whether the boy – who loved swimming, riding his bicycle and playing football – would ever be able to walk again and play with his three-year-old brother, Matthew.

Luke started therapy to help him regain his motor skills. The experience was very frustrating for the young boy who had to be confined to a wheelchair. “He used to get frustrated when he could not get up and would fall and start crying and get angry... Mentally, he’s fine and he’s still the sharp boy he was... He remembers everything. I know he’s very scared.

“We showed him photos of a family outing we went on the week before the accident and he remembers... He does not seem to remember anything about the day of the accident and, to tell the truth, we don’t really bring up the subject. It was very difficult for us... From the picture taken the week earlier we could see we’ve aged 10 years in three months. It’s quite a horror story to go through,” Mr Micallef said.

A few weeks ago, Mr Micallef was in for an unexpected surprise when he went abroad for a work trip. “I went abroad for three days and left Luke in a wheelchair and, when he came for me at the airport, he was not on the wheelchair, so it was a big surprise for me,” he said.

Now things are improving rapidly. Luke started swimming again and can stay at school for longer periods of time as he regains his energy.

“The next target is to get him on his bike again but this will take some time due to the risk of further injury. If I never believed in miracles, I believe now because the situation was as bad as it could get. When you arrive in hospital and see the priest is in the room before you, you know things are pretty bad.

“Luke was given another chance at life. Unluckily, many people do not get a second chance and this is my appeal: that in Malta we try to start avoiding injuries and accidents,” he said.