URGENT BREAKING NEWS FROM RABI (also English translation)

[Stacey King]

Kabong Reo [[e-mail]]

Bon te rongorongo ae kananokawaki ba e ranganako te truck are a toka iai ataei n te reirei nako Buakonikai ngke e bakataai n te bong aio. E kabutaki te truck aio iroun Batiaua Uanati. Uoman ataei aika a ikoaki serious ao nikiraia a treated at the hospital.

Anne ngkanne te newsbreak mai Rabi
___________
It is sad to reveal the news from Rabi Island that the truck that trasposrt school student to Buakonikai tipp over this afternoon.
The truck was driven by Batiaua Uanati. Two students were seriously injured and the rest were given treatment at the local hospital

[Marlie Rota]

In all our effort to thank everyone who had assisted us during Eliot's time of need, we forgot to extend our extreme gratitude to Ken and Stacey for the opportunity you gave us to post our thanksgiving through this website. We are indeed glad that you were able to create a forum in which we can give credit to those who have been there for us during Eliot's recovery period.

[Marlie Rota]

Just wanted to report on further developments of my son's condition and to pass on some personal messages from my son and family.

Eliot had a succesful surgery on Wednesday, 20th May, which saw a complete secondary suturing of his wound. He is now awaiting transfer to Suva on Monday, 25th May, so that he can have a CT Scan done and further reviews. I am now forced to transfer him from Buakonikai Primary School to Ahmaddiya Muslim Primary School in Narere so that he can have his constant reviews at CWM Hospital that would have proven costly for my family, had he remained on the island (given that transportation from Rabi to Labasa every week or so for reviews is expensive). I understand how this move would disrupt the momentum and consistency of his studies that he had built over the last school year and term, but it is of prime importance that his life is first priority and his education relegated to secondary option.

Firstly, Eliot and my family wish to thank the Lord for his unconditional love and giving him a second chance at life. We are living witnesses of his goodness and mercy.

We are in unison in showing our deep appreciation to Iakoba and his family in Savusavu for the generousity and kindness they extended to us when my children, sisters and I were enroute to Labasa to visit him. We also deeply appreciate the hopsitality of Holland Lanyon and his family when hosting us in Labasa. They came through in our time of need and despair. Extreme gratitude goes out to Uncle Boukanawa for his timely assistance that we couldn't live without. Our heartfelt thanks to my 1st cousins - Ioio & Roba for their financial support, although they were miles away in America. It made a big difference in our effort to be there for Eliot when he needed us most.

And we cannot forget the kind hands that lifted the overrturned truck off him, when he was unconscious beneath it. We also thank Uoti's son who so bravely rushed him to Nuku Hospital and also the doctor and nurses who attended to him there, you gave him hope when all else failed.

To Dr Vivek of Labasa Hospital who welcomed Eliot into the children's ward and never left his side until he was out of danger 6 hours later, Eliot and his family are forever indebted to you. And also to Dr Abhay for supervising Eliot's recovery and for keeping us informed of all decisions pertaining to his medical condition. To the nurses at the Children's Ward in Labasa Hospital, we love you for making Eliot's stay as comfortable as can be. Your nurturing of my son in my absence is beyond comparison and deserves more than we can ever show you.

Eliot makes special mention of his grand-uncle - Dr Eritara Tekieuru (Uncle Eri) for his second opinion on all of his medical care and being there for us with grand-aunty Teresia. He also wishes to thank his grandparents - Rota & Cherry - for being the pillars of strength when his Mum was 'falling apart' and the constant support all throughout.

Eliot would also like to thank his brothers - Viliame, Stanlie and Clifford and his sister - Cherry for visiting him in Labasa. They proved that love and family bond surpasses everything. He also remembers the students of 'Ocean of Light' (and their parents)...who prayed and fasted for him, he cannot thank them enough and misses them so much. He extends the same wishes to the teachers, parents and children of Buakonikai Primary School. He may not be there this term but his good wishes are with them.

He is also extremely grateful for his Aunty Helene and Ititea for being there for him. And also to the rest of the Nukudrati Community of Buakonikai whose routines were disrupted when they went out of their way for him.

Last but not least, Eliot wishes to thank his Dad (Bwea Maio) for being his constant companion and for fighting all odds to get him where he is now and the state that he is in now.

Our prayers of thanksgiving for all you've shown us will ring true for the rest of our lives. May the lord richly bless every one of you.

Our love and regards to all.

[Marlie Rota]

Thanks Couz!!

I am extremely grateful for your concern and offer to help. Please remember Eliot and Riti in your prayers, that they completely recover (God-willing). And I have been following your 'humorous adventure' posts there in Ohio and assume that you are well. Enjoy the rest of your stay there and stay blessed. I will give your regards to Eliot when I meet him tommorow!!

[Roba]

Hey Cuz,
Thanks for the report and I am so happy to hear that your son is recovering.I do know with no doubt in my mind that miracles do happens.First, when I heard about this tragic accident, happened in Buakonikai,I had a feeling that it might be someone that I am close related to and without hesitation,I ask and search in here who were those students that were seriously injured.Thanks to the creators of this site,Ken and Stacy for sacrificing their precious time and energy to create this social network.Without it, we won't able to be inform of whats happenning back home in a short period of time.Thanks also to people like Kabong and Molly and others for their contribution in updating us with this news.Its always comforting to hear about the conditon of these two young people and how they are coping each day.Marlie,I can't imagine what you're feeling in this heart wrenching time.How can I help? You and your son and the rest of your families are in my thoughts and prayers.

[Marlie Rota]

Let me report on the condition of my 12 year-old son Eliot, so that those who are concerned will be comforted. On Tuesday afternoon when the accident happened Eliot was found unconscious under the overturned truck. Thanks to the ladies (especially Bente) and Teatu who were at the scene they managed to move the truck to pull him out. He was then transported to Nuku by Boukanawa and his Dad on Uoti's boat. Upon arrival at the Nuku Hospital, he was immediately attended to by the doctor and nurses who were on duty and then sedated so that he can 'sleep off the pain' that were coming in spasms prompting 'screams' from him. After 10.00pm he was then transferred first to Savusavu, then onto Labasa in order to get a more clearer X-Ray of his injury. Upon admission at 5.00am of Wednesday morning, he had a GCS score of 7-8 (semi-comatose state) and was not responding to voice but responding to pain with an 8cm gash to the Oxypital Region of his skull. After X-Ray they could not find any obvious fracture to the skull, although he was then still bleeding from the nose and ears. They administered medication and by 8.30am the bleeding from the ears, nose and the laceration had stopped and stabilised. His GCS score at this point was 14 (1 away from being normal)and he was responding to voice although he was still in pain because the doctors witheld pain killers to determine the extent of his injury (which would have been otherwise masked by the effect of the painkiller). At 12.00 noon Eliot's GCS normalised at 15 and was requesting for a drink of water. At this point his pain had subsided and he was able to stand to urinate. He was also conversing intelligently with the attending physician and nurses. Thursday morning brought the best of news under this circumstances, because I was able to hold a phone conversation with Eliot for a little more than a minute and he was fully awake and able to comprehend where he was, who he was talking to and what had happened to him. His wound will require secondary closure and until that is done I am able to bring him to Suva to have a CT Scan procedure done on him to rule out any internal injury that might only be obviuos 1 or 2 weeks after 'impact'.

Eliot is now miraculously recovering and I am travelling up to Savusavu today to meet my other children and his Aunty Helen before we proceed to visit him in Labasa. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have lent a helping hand when my son's life was in danger. I also thank those who had prayed for him and Riti. And most importantly I thank God that he saw fit to give my son another chance at life. I firmly believe that he is being 'prepared' and 'pre-ordained' to serve a bigger purpose in this life. Eliot took out top honours in the Intermediate Examinations on Rabi last year and to survive this accident without memory loss is a miracle indeed!!

My only humble request is for the administration to seriously look at Rabi's transportation issues. Correct me if I am wrong but that truck was not supposed to run that day because there was a brake failure that Batiaua was well aware of.

[Molly Amon]

The latest about this incident is that the victims are now in Labasa in the safe hands of the doctors there. Elliot was throughly examined and is now recovering slowly same with Riiti. Lets all pray for a speedy recovery and with nil side effects to both.

[Erine B James]

Were those 2 kids got injured seriously?? By the way, Riti is my husband's niece as her Mum is his older sister...what actually happen and the driver...is he an experienced driver??...am not saying this in a bad way but someone has to look into these matters especially if it has to do with Students' transportation....Buakonikai especially...the mountains and rough road....anyway, ko raraba Molly n am kaongora as ngaira ake ti raroa mai Rabi can also be up to date with whatever happens on the island....my prayers goes to these 2 kids....

[Roba]

Isa Molly,Thanks for the details of the story.I have a feeling the two might be some kind of related and my feelings were right!! Thats why I asked at the beginning.Eliot is my close nephew since Marlie is my first cuz and Riti is like my grandniece.I am related to both Moanikaiwa and Nei Miri.Miri is like a cuzin to me from my Dad's side I believe and Moanikaiwa is a cuzin too from my mom side. My hearts,thoughts and prayers goes to these two young children.Hope for theier speed recovery...

[Molly Amon]

Yes it is shocking that this has happened, but we thank God that no one died. Correction to what is pasted on this web is that only one is seriously injured - a child named Elliot Bwea son of Bwea and Marlie Rota. The other injured student is Riiti granddaughter of Miri & Moanikaiwa with factured right leg. Both have now been traansfered to Savusavu hospital for further treatment The driver lost control of his vehicle while going up the slope (Taboia's plantation) on its way to B/Kai. Our request that we pray for these children and their families.