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Home / New Zealand

Lucian Whyte's family relieved he is out of coma for Christmas

Natalie Akoorie
By Natalie Akoorie
Local Democracy Editor·Herald on Sunday·
23 Dec, 2017 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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Lucian Whyte injured in bike crash in Raglan. Photo / Supplied

Lucian Whyte injured in bike crash in Raglan. Photo / Supplied

A young boy seriously injured after a biking accident has awoken from his coma in time to celebrate Christmas.

Lucian Whyte suffered a fractured skull, broken eye socket, wrist, vertebrae and femur, and bruised lungs when he collided with a moving car in the Waikato seaside town on Thursday night.

His parents Lucian Whyte senior and Annette McChesney are at his bedside according to family spokeswoman and cousin Hayley Le Gros.

"They need a lot of support. His dad was devastated and his mum's a bit of a mess too. But Lucian woke up today and is up and talking so we are really relieved."

Lucian was flown to Waikato Hospital where he underwent a 3 1/2 hour surgery for the broken femur.

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After the surgery where a rod was inserted into Lucian's leg, doctors noticed his brain was swelling and put him into an induced coma to aid his recovery.

"He has frontal lobe brain injury. That was found after his surgery," Le Gros said.

A large family Christmas with grandmother Noeline Whyte at Raglan had been cancelled and instead the family, including Lucian's two younger brothers, would take Christmas to the teen.

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"We're all going to open presents here and then we're going to drive up to the hospital and sit with him."

Le Gros said doctors were optimistic Lucian would be transferred to a ward by Monday.

She said the outdoorsy teenager who had only just received the brand new bike for his birthday in October, had earlier opened his eyes briefly on Friday night.

"He's a very independent kid. He's really active and he acts older than 14."

Lucian, who loves fishing with his dad and surfing with his Raglan Area School friends, was looking forward to the school holidays Le Gros said.

"He's asked for MGP scooter but he won't be riding that anytime soon."

It's not clear how the 9.15pm crash on Upper Cross St happened but it was so serious the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called in to take Lucian to hospital.

Le Gros, an early childhood teacher and mother-of-two young children, set up a Givealittle page to raise money to support the Raglan family while they stayed in Hamilton to be close to Lucian.

Before his surgery and while Lucian was lucid, the teenager asked Le Gros to take a photo of him so he could see the extent of his injuries when he recovered.

The picture, on the Givealittle page, shows him in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace and with cuts, blood and bruises on his face.

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Messages of support, as well as food donations from the Salvation Army had been overwhelming after Le Gros appealed for help accommodating Lucian's family.

Because of Christmas her mother and five siblings were also visiting and the family had borrowed tents to sleep everyone at her three bedroom home.

By last night $685 had been raised. Le Gros said Lucian's phone and bike were wrecked in the crash so any money left over would be used to replace the items.

"Any extras we're hoping to donate back to the Salvation Army and back to the Givealittle page."

Noeline Whyte said she missed her grandson already.

"He's my right-hand man. He's a good little helper. He's a good kid."

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• To donate to Lucian Whyte's recovery visit his Givealittle page here.

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