Burns victim saved with revolutionary treatment

Toddler's father speaks of miracle
08:16 AEST Fri Jun 4 2004


Ground-breaking medical technology saved tiny Sophie Delezio's life.

But the toddler's unbreakable spirit in the face of horrific burns was another miracle to emerge from Sydney's childcare centre tragedy.

Sophie and playmate Molly Wood, now both aged three, suffered massive burns last December when they were trapped under a car that ploughed into the Roundhouse Childcare Centre at Fairlight, on Sydney's northern beaches.

Molly spent almost two months in intensive care, enduring 18 rounds of surgery for burns to about 40 per cent of her body before she could be released from hospital in early March.

Sophie lost both feet, some fingers and suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of her body.

She is expected to remain in The Children's Hospital at Westmead for some time yet.

On Thursday, Sophie's father Ron Delezio spoke of the miracle of his tiny daughter's survival and paid tribute to the medical team.

Surgeons from The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Concord Hospital's burns unit treated Sophie's terrible burns with a bio-engineered skin grafts.

Layers of skin grown from Sophie's own cells were then used to treat her burns.

Doctors said the success of the procedures undoubtedly saved Sophie's life - it was one of the first times anywhere that cultured skin had successfully been grafted onto a bio-engineered skin graft.

"It is a miracle what's happened with Sophie in her recovery," Mr Delezio told reporters.

"I think the miracle is that the surgeons, the scientists, the hospital, the staff ... have worked together in a very close knit team and I don't think you can get any better than what we've seen here in the last six months.

"We've been very thankful for what's happened here."

A visibly moved NSW Premier Bob Carr visited Sophie on Thursday.

"It says something about the spirit of little Sophie, an indomitable spirit, a wonderful little girl who I think will be contributing to the life of this country," Mr Carr said.

"She's got a very strong lively personality and she loves books and that's a great tribute to ... her parents who have got her to this point in her recovery."

Sophie's surgeon Peter Haywood spoke of tragedy converted into triumph.

"It's a triumph of the will of Sophie, it's a triumph of the commitment of her parents, it's a triumph of all the people behind this miracle," Dr Haywood said.

"This child would not have survived without this technology. This is cutting edge stuff."

She is expected to remain in The Children's Hospital at Westmead for some time yet.

On Thursday, Sophie's father Ron Delezio spoke of the miracle of his tiny daughter's survival and paid tribute to the medical team.

Surgeons from The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Concord Hospital's burns unit treated Sophie's terrible burns with a bio-engineered skin grafts.

Layers of skin grown from Sophie's own cells were then used to treat her burns.

Doctors said the success of the procedures undoubtedly saved Sophie's life - it was one of the first times anywhere that cultured skin had successfully been grafted onto a bio-engineered skin graft.

"It is a miracle what's happened with Sophie in her recovery," Mr Delezio told reporters.

"I think the miracle is that the surgeons, the scientists, the hospital, the staff ... have worked together in a very close knit team and I don't think you can get any better than what we've seen here in the last six months.

"We've been very thankful for what's happened here."

A visibly moved NSW Premier Bob Carr visited Sophie on Thursday.

"It says something about the spirit of little Sophie, an indomitable spirit, a wonderful little girl who I think will be contributing to the life of this country," Mr Carr said.

"She's got a very strong lively personality and she loves books and that's a great tribute to ... her parents who have got her to this point in her recovery."

Sophie's surgeon Peter Haywood spoke of tragedy converted into triumph.

"It's a triumph of the will of Sophie, it's a triumph of the commitment of her parents, it's a triumph of all the people behind this miracle," Dr Haywood said.

"This child would not have survived without this technology. This is cutting edge stuff."


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=3980