KEPALA BATAS: The three-year-old girl who survived a road crash that claimed the lives of her six family members in Sungai Petani last month is recovering well and is now under the care of her paternal aunt in Bertam.
Her aunt, Siti Nor Atikah Ahmad Syukri, 32, said Aulia Sofea Ahmad Shafiq was discharged from Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar on July 2 after nearly a month of treatment and has since become increasingly active.
However, she said Aulia Sofea is still unable to walk because both her legs were fractured in the crash.
"To us, she is a miracle because we thought her chances of survival were very slim. But her recovery has been rapid, and she continues to improve.
"She is active like any other child, but she cannot walk yet because both her legs are broken. She has a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic specialist on July 26,” she told reporters at her home in Taman Bandar Bertam Putra on Saturday (July 18).
Siti Nor Atikah said the child also suffered head injuries and severe trauma to her left eye, including a ruptured eyeball, in the crash.
She added that doctors had successfully performed surgery to save the eye, but it remains unclear whether Aulia Sofea will regain her sight, as the extent of her vision will only be known after further examinations.
"The doctors said she may be able to see again, but her vision could be blurred, or she may lose sight completely. We are still waiting for the results of further assessments,” she said.
Earlier, the Raja Muda of Kedah, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah ibni Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin, Raja Puan Muda of Kedah, Che Puan Muda Zaheeda Mohamad Ariff, and their daughter, Tunku Zara Bahiyah, visited Aulia Sofea.
During the visit, the royal family presented essential aid to support those caring for the child and a National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) account for the girl to help secure her future education.
Siti Nor Atikah, who also lost her youngest son, seven-year-old Iskandar Affan Ibrahim, in the same crash, said Aulia Sofea regained consciousness about two weeks after the tragedy and has since been told that her parents had died.
She thanked the Raja Muda of Kedah, the Raja Puan Muda of Kedah and Tunku Zara Bahiyah for visiting Aulia Sofea, describing the gesture as a reflection of the royal family’s compassion for families affected by tragedy.
Meanwhile, her husband, Ibrahim Ghazali, 39, said they intended to raise Aulia Sofea as their own daughter and were awaiting the completion of legal guardianship procedures.
"Our children and their cousins have always been very close. Aulia Sofea enjoys living here because her cousins are always around,” said Ibrahim, a lorry driver.
The crash occurred at about 3.50pm on June 7 when the family’s Proton X50 sport utility vehicle collided with a lorry while travelling from Penang to Merbok.
Those killed include Aulia Sofea's parents, Ahmad Shafiq Ahmad Shukri, 27, and Jamaliah Sannusi, 29; her two-month-old brother Ahmad Mikail; her grandmother Nora Mhd Husin, 55; her uncle Ahmad Fahim Ahmad Shukri, 27; and her cousin, Iskandar Affan Ibrahim, seven. – Bernama
