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Eleven-year-old Saanich girl underwent surgery, will be in coma for a week, says family

Leila Bui of Arbutus middle school still sedated at VGH
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Saanich Police officers investigate the crash scene on Wednesday morning where a pedestrian, an 11-year-old girl, was struck by a car on Ash Road. The girl was crossing the road to catch a ride to school, said her grandfather. Travis Paterson/News Staff

A close family member of Arbutus Global middle school student Leila Bui says she has had one successful surgery and could need another. For now she will remain in an induced coma for a least a week.

Bui was struck by the driver of a Mercedes on Wednesday morning while trying to cross Ash Road in front of her house. Saanich Police report she was thrown into the path of a second car which is now believed to have stopped before it struck the girl. She was rushed by ambulance to Victoria General Hospital.

See the initial story here: Girl struck by two cars at Ash Road

Bui’s uncle, Gavin Aitken of Saanich, said Bui underwent surgery on Wednesday to stop internal bleeding.

On Thursday she had an MRI to assess her neck and spine.

“She has a neck fracture but her spine seems to be okay,” he said. “We are so relieved about that as any serious injury to her spine would have been devastating to her outcome.”

Bui is on medication to help keep her brain swelling down and medical staff are keeping her in an induced coma for at least the next week or two, Aitken was told.

She may need additional surgery.

Following that, medical staff hope her body can regulate itself without the aid of medication, at which point she would slowly be brought out of the coma, he added.

“There is still so much unknown right now and we won’t know much more about her condition for the next two days,” Aitken said.

reporter@saanichnews.com