Denishar Woods suffered an electric shock after using a garden tap. Photo / Channel 9
Denishar Woods suffered an electric shock after using a garden tap. Photo / Channel 9
A young girl who was shocked with up to 230 volts after she touched a tap in her family's public housing property, has been told she may never be able to eat again.
Denishar Woods' family were told the 11-year-old was not going to make it off life support, aftershe suffered a catastrophic brain injury from a massive electric shock at her Perth home in March this year.
While she has showed signs of improvement, even returning to school, doctors informed her mother Lacey Harrison that Denishar is likely to never be able to be fed by mouth and swallow food, reports news.com.au.
"We will have to lifelong nourish Denishar by tube through the stomach," Ms Harrison said.
"My family, Denishar's siblings have taken hit after hit this year with hopes dashed about recovery for Denishar and to hit us harder compensation is still years from being sorted and every delay hurts my struggling family."
The 11-year-old may have to be fed through a tube for the rest of her life. Photo / News Corp Australia
The National Indigenous Critical Response Service (NICRS), which has been supporting the Perth girl's family since the incident, said the government's decision to reject making the $3.2 million payment is "morally and politically abominable".
NICRS national co-ordinator Gerry Georgatos labelled the situation "a diabolic, reprehensible predicament".
"(NICRS's) support is all that keeps us together as best it can," Ms Harrison said.
"I need the government to pick up some moral fibre and move along the compensation that can at least provide what best can life opportunities and relief for my daughter."
But more needs to be done to relieve the family's financial burden, Mr Georgatos said.
Denishar was showing signs of progress at school. Photo / Supplied
He said the family is under enormous financial pressures, unable to afford adequate specialist care management, unable to afford therapies, unable to afford essentials
"It will be their first Christmas since the abominable tragedy and it must be said that 10 months later that Denishar has not been nestled with compensation and a best shot at life," Mr Georgatos said.
"Vital to moving along the compensation settlement, to making it happen, is the inquiry report by the government into the electrical fault that shattered Denishar's life and that of her family."
He said it was due in May, then in July "but the silence drags on".
Mr Georgatos is begging the State Government to review its "disgraceful decision" of rejecting the ex-gratia payment, as the NICRS can't afford the specialist care and therapies.
In a statement provided to news.com.au in September when the government rejected the proposed partial settlement, a government spokesman said: "The WA Government does not believe that a lump-sum payment (ex gratia) is appropriate at this time. The government will continue to support the family and provide act of grace payments if and when required."
