Concerts to fundraise for crash victim

Diane Wilson, 23, is being awakened from an induced coma after a horrific car crash in Melbourne. Photo / Joel Ford

A series of star-studded concerts is on the cards to help fundraise for the treatment and rehabilitation of Tauranga woman Diane Wilson who was critically injured in a car crash in Melbourne.

The extent of the injuries suffered by Miss Wilson, 23, are likely to be known in the next few days as doctors begin to bring her out of an induced coma more than a week after the crash.

Miss Wilson sustained a smashed pelvis, broken neck at the base of her skull and brain bleeds in the August 31 crash in Melbourne.

Peter Grattan, a friend of Diane's father Craig Wilson and a USA-based concert promoter, told the Bay of Plenty Times he had started making calls to arrange fundraising concerts for Miss Wilson. The concerts could be used to not only raise money but promote road safety, he said.

"My idea was 'Concerts for Diane', one in Tauranga at Baycourt and one in Napier at the Opera House," he said. "My vision was Tom Sharplin, Tina Cross and Rikki Morris, Midge Marsden, Shane and The Shadz and Larry Morris coming together in a fundraiser. Neil Finn and Bic Runga are on tour, [I'm] hoping they may come with Tim Finn for a few songs acoustically, too."

Mr Grattan said he had contacted many of the musicians through Facebook and was awaiting their replies before pressing on with the gigs.

Mr Wilson said doctors took his daughter off the first of several sedation drugs on Sunday afternoon as they began the process of waking her up for the first time since the car she was driving was T-boned.

"It is the one that will take the longest to wear off, so it will be a little while before the first effects are seen. We didn't spend much time with her this time, as they want her to have as little stimulation as possible while she is being brought out of the coma so she doesn't get too stressed ... which might happen if she can actually hear us at that point," he said.

"This is the point onwards that we start to find out the extent of her brain injury."

On Friday, Miss Wilson underwent a surgery to reattach the base of her skull to her spine.

On Thursday she had surgeries to insert a filter and repair the rear of her pelvis.

Miss Wilson was born with Crouzon's Syndrome, a condition that meant the bones of her skull were fused together, and had numerous surgeries to reshape her face and head.

The Bay of Plenty Times published stories and photos about her surgeries and bravery.

Peter Grattan

As a musician and TV producer, Peter Grattan's influence on New Zealand's entertainment scene is substantial. The guiding hand behind the creation of formative Kiwi music shows including the iconic Radio With Pictures and Shazam, Grattan's experience in the TV industry extends to the United Kingdom and the United States, where he now lives.

- NZONSCREEN