Family rally as schoolboy fights back

Deane Aoterangi Peters, 14, with his sister Michaela King-Peters (left) and mum Kahui King. PHOTO / WARREN BUCKLAND

The family of 14-year-old Deane Aoterangi Peters drove to Hawke's Bay Hospital in silence.

There was little detail about the accident which caused a beloved son and brother to fall from his mountain bike at high speed during an adventure race with the Tamatea High School team on March 29.

They knew sketchy facts relayed by a teacher who clambered for cell phone coverage - that Deane was hurt and the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter would deliver him to the emergency department from Flemington, south of Waipukurau.

They hoped his injuries were minor - a bandaged leg, a broken bone - but mother Kahui King, father Kerin Peters and sister Michaela, 18, said nothing as they moved quietly to the car and drove for what seemed like "forever".

They wouldn't usually be at their Taradale home on a Sunday as both parents worked seven days a week - this day was different.

"Our daughter was there as well, we were all working from home when Deane's dad got the call," Kahui says. "We thought 'Deane's fallen off his bike and hurt his knee or something' ... I was still really optimistic, in a bit of denial but we were all dead silent."

When they arrived, a receptionists tone of voice when relaying the message: "His mother's here" was a sign this was more serious than a scraped knee.

Deane had stopped breathing for a short time, tests revealed a crack in his liver and kidney, damage to his lumbar, a broken wrist and some bruising around the brain as well as a small amount of bleeding. He was in a critical condition.

Kahui was overwhelmed as two paramedics came to deliver the news.

"We were ushered into a quiet side room, it was really hard ... I felt we all stopped breathing for a second to hear what they had to say, so I knew what they said happened to my son."

Teacher David Murdoch was first on the scene and cleared Deane's airways, before placing him in the recovery position - something the family discovered not only saved his life but kept oxygen flowing around the body, preventing further brain damage.

Seeing her son was another shock - he was bruised, battered and had tubes coming from his nose, throat and legs. He lay with his eyes closed in the Intensive Care Unit until just over a week ago, when he woke up.

Now transferred to a room in the paediatric ward he is making good progress every day.
"It hurt a lot to see him bruised and swollen when I first saw ... I used to wake up not expecting too much, now I wake up wondering what magical miracle he will do today."

Yesterday Deane was able to write his name, he can hold a conversation although his speech is slightly slurred and his memory a little hazy. He gets out of bed on his own and can nearly walk the length of his ward's corridor.

One of his closest supporters is older sister Michaela with whom he shares a special bond - according to their mother the pair "do everything together".

Even when in a coma he would respond to news she had arrived by moving his body in some way.

"She has been getting here at 5.30am every day this week so she can fit in more time with him, there have been some really beautiful, heartbreaking moments when she's by his bedside and you can see him react to her."

It is believed Deane will make a full recovery but now he must take the next step in his journey - a stint at The Wilson Centre in Auckland for further rehabilitation.
He will be away from home for a minimum of three weeks, but it could be up to three months.

Kahui has put work on hold since the accident and will join her son at the centre in Takapuna.

While it had been "hard" to accept help through a Givealittle page, bills continued to roll in placing stress on the family with one income lost.

"At first we said no to the help, but luckily our family was persistent they made us think about his aftercare."

Anyone who would like to donate can do so by heading to: givealittle.co.nz/cause/deanepetersroadtorecovery