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Meg Theriault Update and Parents’ Statement
Meg Theriault Update and Parents’ Statement
Meg Theriault, the 21-year-old student in Waikato Hospital’s intensive care unit from the crash near Turangi last week, remains in a critical condition but is breathing on her own.
Doctors this morning removed the breathing tube she had been on since her admission into ICU after surgery Sunday morning (13 May NZ time).
Parents Todd and Deb Theriault say their daughter is a fighter and her progress is heartening.
A 20-year-old man has been charged with three counts of careless driving causing death and four counts of careless driving causing injury. He will appear in the Auckland District Court this afternoon.
Mr and Mrs Theriault say they have met his parents.
“We feel their pain and he now has a journey of recovery much like our daughter does.
“We understand there needs to be a court process and we support it.
“But that could have been any one of our kids at the wheel. This was an accident – all our kids were pursuing their dream. Nobody was intentionally doing anything that would harm anyone,” they said.
Mrs Theriault said Meg’s accident and ongoing recovery was life-altering in so many ways.
“There’s a reason we are here and we have full faith in the team at Waikato Hospital who have just been outstanding. I can’t talk highly enough about them. This public health system is nothing like what we’ve got in the US and when I explain it to my friends back home, they can’t believe it.
“We could not have fathomed how much support we would get, from everyone we encounter. You Kiwis are special people,” she said.
Messages for Meg to www.waikatodhb.health.nz/meg
About Waikato District Health Board and Health Waikato:
Waikato DHB is responsible for planning, funding and providing quality health and disability support services for the 365,730 people living in the Waikato DHB region. It has an annual turnover of $1.2 billion and employs more than 6000 people.
Health Waikato is the DHB’s main provider of hospital and health services with an annual budget of more than $701 million and 5238 staff. It has six groups across five hospital sites, three primary birthing units, two continuing care facilities and 20 community bases offering a comprehensive range of primary, secondary and tertiary health services.
A wide range of independent providers deliver other Waikato DHB-funded health services - including primary health, pharmacies and community laboratories.
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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