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UK Student Still Critical But Responding
14 December 2007
MEDIA RELEASE
The father of Matthew
John Purchase, 21, the English agricultural
student shot
in the head near Putaruru on December 8 has today made
a
statement about his son's condition (audio on
www.waikatodhb.govt.nz).
Matthew is still in a critical
condition in intensive care at Waikato
Hospital in
Hamilton but has responded to some commands from
his
mother.
His 23-year-old brother Simon and sister
Rachel, 19, arrived in New
Zealand this morning to join
their parents Ian and Helen Purchase in
supporting
Matthew.
Mr Purchase said he and his wife were going
through a "roller coaster"
of emotions. The tragic
shooting was something he would not wish on
anybody's
family.
Their son had shown some small signs of
improvement in the last 24
hours since Wednesday's
surgery. Matthew had held his mother's hand
briefly,
opened an eye and wiggled his toes. His condition is
still
critical.
Noted neurosurgeon Dr Venkataraman
Balakrishnan, who did the operation,
made the following
statement about the operation.
"Exposed right side of
skull, removed all necrotic (dead and destroyed)
brain
matter.
Removed few in driven bone fragments and two
fragments of bullets.
Large layer of his own tissue used
to cover the brain and inner side of
right ear
to
prevent further brain extrusion and prevent infection.
CT scan today showed less swelling of brain. Small blood
clot of the
left side
not requiring surgery.
He
is getting less sedation. Seen him moving right hand, leg
and slight
movements
left leg only. "
Tokoroa
Police today charged a 48-year-old Danish tourist with
careless
use of a firearm causing bodily injury.
The
charged person appeared in the Tokoroa District Court this
morning
and has been released on bail to reappear in the
court on February 5.
The police investigation is still
continuing but no other people are
being sought.
This
case brings timely reminder from the police that all users
of
firearms must be aware of the responsibility they
accept when using guns
of any type.
The cardinal rules
of firearms' safety are that every firearm should
be
treated as loaded and that you should always clearly
identify your
target as well as what is beside and behind
it.
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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