Sophie Delezio

Last updated

Sophie Joy Martin Delezio (born 3 April 2001) is an Australian woman who was injured in two serious traffic crashes when she was young.

Contents

She first gained media attention in December 2003, at 2.5 years old when she was badly injured when a car crashed into her day care centre. She suffered third-degree burns to 85% of her body and was hospitalised for almost a year, where she lost both legs from below the knee, her right hand, and an ear. [1] She was involved in a second serious car crash in 2006 at the age of 5.

Her family has become major fundraisers and activists for victims who suffer conditions like Sophie's, and have also assisted in fundraising for The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

Family

Delezio is the first daughter of Ron Delezio and Carolyn Martin and the younger sister of Mitchell Delezio and half-sister of Catherine Delezio and John Delezio. [2]

First crash

Delezio first came to the attention of the public on 15 December 2003 when she and Molly Wood, both two years old at the time, were badly injured when they were trapped under a burning car which had crashed through the window of the Roundhouse Childcare Centre in Fairlight, Sydney, Australia. She suffered burns to 85% [3] of her body, was hospitalised for several months, and lost both legs below the knee, right hand, and her right ear. Wood suffered burns to 40% of her body, but has since made a good recovery. [4] Delezio was released from Westmead Children's Hospital on Monday 21 June 2004. The circumstances of the crash, and the rescue of the children by passers-by and members of the emergency services (for which a number received bravery awards) [5] made them the subject of national news coverage. [1] [6]

The driver who crashed into the child care centre, Donald John McNeall, was 68 at the time of the accident. He was cleared of negligent driving before a magistrate's court as it could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that he did not have a seizure. [7]

In late 2004, Delezio's parents founded the Day of Difference Foundation, a charity dedicated to raising funds for research into pediatric burns and related diseases. [8] As of 2009, the foundation has raised over $6.5 million. [9]

In January 2006, Delezio was enrolled at Balgowlah Heights Public School. The school was extensively refurbished to accommodate Delezio's needs. [10]

Due to the driver not being found liable, nobody was responsible for Delezio's extensive medical costs. However, the driver's compulsory third party insurance provider, the NRMA, covered the costs ex-gratia. [11] Due to this loophole in insurance coverage the NSW government introduced the Children's Special Benefit [12] for children under 16 where no insurance coverage is available and later introduced a similar scheme to cover third parties of any age injured in an accident where nobody is liable called "Blameless Accidents". [13]

In 2005, journalist Mark Whittaker won a Walkley Award for his harrowing account of the rescue of dozens of children from inside The Roundhouse Childcare Centre by a large group of people who were unknown to each other. [14] Originally published in The Weekend Australian, the account was adapted to become the first chapter of Whittaker's book, Brave. [15]

Second crash

On 5 May 2006, Delezio made national headlines a second time when she was again badly injured in a road crash. While being pushed across a crossing by her nanny in a wheelchair (her service dog Tara by her side) near her home in Sydney's northern beaches, she was hit by a car and thrown 18 metres. Delezio suffered a heart attack, a broken jaw, a broken shoulder, bruising to her head, numerous rib fractures and a tear to her left lung. She was treated at the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. [16] She left hospital and returned home to continue her recovery on 7 June 2006. [17]

An 80-year-old man, John George Sharman, was charged in relation to the second crash with "dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and not giving way to a pedestrian on a crossing". [18] Having pleaded guilty Sharman was in October 2006 placed on a good behaviour bond for 18 months and suspended from driving for a year. [19]

Delezio's father maintained that while accidents do happen, the number of incidents occurring at the pedestrian crossing in question means it must be reconstructed.

On 16 July 2006, Delezio's story was told on Channel 7's True Stories series. [20]

Life after the crashes

Delezio returned to classes after recovery at Balgowlah Heights Public School on Thursday, 20 July 2006. [21]

In June 2011, it was reported that she aspired to be a paralympic swimmer. [22] She later switched to rowing. In 2020 she appeared in Series 5 of Anh's Brush with Fame.

In April 2023 she announced her engagement. [23]

In April 2024 Sophie announced that she and her fiance Joseph Salerno are expecting their first child together in September of the same year. [24]

On September 13, 2024, Sophie announced on Instagram that she and her fiancé (Joseph Salerno) welcomed a baby boy, Frankie Salerno.

Responses

As a result of Delezio's crash, more than $14 million has been raised by the foundation the Delezio family set up, [25] and public awareness for the need for adequate support and services for pediatric burns patients has increased. Some of these funds were raised at the Kids 4 Kids Benefit Concert held on 10 September 2006. The NSW Government announced that it is investigating the possibility of reducing the age for mandatory medical checks for drivers from 80 to 75 years of age, and it agreed to install traffic lights at the crossing where the crash occurred.

Periodically Delezio and the two crashes are referenced in the media particularly when concerns are raised about road safety in the vicinity of educational institutions. [26]

Sophie Delezio's father Ron Delezio was an Independent candidate in the 2017 Manly state by-election. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Mirabella</span> Australian lawyer and former politician

Sophie Mirabella is an Australian lawyer and former politician who currently serves as a Commissioner on the Fair Work Commission since 24 May 2021. She was previously a Liberal Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013, representing the Division of Indi, Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Children's Hospital at Westmead</span> Hospital in New South Wales, Australia

The Children's Hospital at Westmead is a children's hospital in Western Sydney. The hospital was founded in 1880 as "The Sydney Hospital for Sick Children". Its name was changed to the "Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children" on 4 January 1904 when King Edward VII granted use of the appellation 'Royal' and his consort, Queen Alexandra, consented to the use of her name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal North Shore Hospital</span> Hospital in New South Wales, Australia

The Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located in the suburb of St Leonards. It serves as a teaching hospital for Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and Australian Catholic University and has over 600 beds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Ferries</span> Public transport ferry service

Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017–18, 15.3 million passenger journeys were made on the network.

Tracy Grimshaw is an Australian journalist and television presenter.

SS <i>Balgowlah</i>

SS Balgowlah was a ferry on Sydney Harbour operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company on the Manly service from 1912 until 1951.

On 17 October 2006 at 9:37am local time, one Rome Metro train ploughed into another train as it unloaded passengers at the Vittorio Emanuele underground station in the city centre, killing a 30-year-old Italian woman, named Alessandra Lisi, and injuring about 145 others, of which a dozen were reported to be in life-threatening conditions.

There have been a number of train accidents on the railway network of Victoria, Australia. Some of these are listed below.

The railways of New South Wales, Australia have had many incidents and accidents since their formation in 1831. There are close to 1000 names associated with rail-related deaths in NSW on the walls of the Australian Railway Monument in Werris Creek. Those killed were all employees of various NSW railways. The details below include deaths of employees and the general public.

Alissa Johannsen Rubin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning American journalist, currently serving as the Baghdad Bureau chief for The New York Times. She has spent much of her career covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

<i>Accidents Happen</i> 2009 Australian film

Accidents Happen is a 2009 Australian coming-of-age comedy drama film directed by Andrew Lancaster and starring Geena Davis, Harrison Gilbertson, Harry Cook, Sebastian Gregory, Joel Tobeck, and Sarah Woods. Written by Brian Carbee, based on his own childhood and adolescence, the story revolves around an accident-prone teenage boy and his family. The film was shot in Sydney, New South Wales, over June – July 2008, and opened in Australia on 22 April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María de Villota</span> Spanish racing driver

María de Villota Comba was a Spanish racing driver who competed in Superleague Formula and Euroseries 3000. She had an accident in straight-line testing as the Marussia Formula One team test driver, where she suffered serious head and facial injuries, and died one year later.

Mark Cornelius Whittaker is an Australian journalist, non-fiction writer and writing coach. He lives in Berry, New South Wales.

Trisha Alexandra Crowe is an Australian classical pop soprano. She has achieved success as a solo guest artist in concerts with Australian symphony orchestras and in musical theatre.

The "Ramsay Street crash" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, which began on 20 August 2012 when six of the show's teenage characters were involved in a car accident. Executive producer, Richard Jasek, revealed the storyline during a July 2012 interview, stating that the consequences would last for the rest of the year. It was later announced that the storyline would focus on two major causes of road fatalities and injuries among young Australian drivers – distraction and the overloading of cars. In the "Ramsay Street crash" it is peer pressure that decides the character's fate. The cast and crew filmed the crash scenes over two nights at a driver training centre in Melbourne. Planning for the shoot began six weeks beforehand and multiple cameras were used to catch the various angles of the crash. A promotional trailer for the storyline was released on 27 July.

Kathryn Therese Greiner is an Australian politician and social advocate. She is a former alderman of the City of Sydney from 1995 until 2004. She is separated from Nick Greiner, a former Premier of New South Wales.

<i>Kanimbla</i> (ferry) Australian K-class ferry

Kanimbla was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1910, the timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited during the boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Kanimbla was renamed "Kurra-Ba" in 1935. She was laid up in the 1940s and broken up in the 1950s.

<i>Kareela</i> (ferry)

Kareela was a "K-class" ferry on Sydney Harbour. Launched in 1905, the double-ended timber-hulled steamer was built for Sydney Ferries Limited in response to the early twentieth century boom in cross-harbour ferry travel prior to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. She was the first of Sydney Ferries Limited's boats to have a fully enclosed upper deck.

Balgowlah Heights Public School is a public co-educational primary school located in the Sydney suburb of Balgowlah Heights, New South Wales, Australia. It is administered by the New South Wales Department of Education, with an enrollment of 704 students and a teaching staff of 35, as of 2023. The school serves students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

References

  1. 1 2 Petersen, Freya (4 June 2004). "Super Sophie - any tougher, and she'd rust". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  2. ↑ "Sympathy for Sophie Delezio's sister Catherine". The Daily Telegraph. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2012. CATHERINE Delezio's troubled life came screaming back at her in a Sydney court yesterday - sexual abuse, life as a street kid, estrangement from her dad Ron, her sister Sophie's two horrific accidents.
  3. ↑ https://www.mamamia.com.au/where-is-sophie-delezio-now/
  4. ↑ "Meet Molly Wood - the raw strength of a child's bravery". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "New South Wales Fire Brigades Bravery Awards Presentation". Legislative Council Hansard. Parliament of New South Wales. 27 October 2004. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  6. ↑ Norrie, Justin (6 May 2006). "A second blow too cruel to contemplate". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  7. ↑ "Child-care centre crash driver says sorry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Day of Difference Foundation". Day of Difference Foundation. 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  9. ↑ Swanson, Carolyn (4 April 2009). "Love conquers all". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Masters, Clare (1 February 2006). "Sophie gives another lesson in determination as she begins school". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) . p. 5.
  11. ↑ "The World Today - Case reveals third party insurance loophole". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Archived 19 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Archived 20 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "2005 Walkley Winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 December 2005.
  15. ↑ Whittaker, Mark (2011). Brave: Ordinary Australians and their Extraordinary Acts of Courage. Pan Macmillan Australia. ISBN   9781742627922 . Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "We're very fortunate: battler Sophie's parents". The Sydney Morning Herald . 29 May 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  17. ↑ [ dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Sophie Delezio driver case adjourned". The Age . 16 August 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  19. ↑ Archived 3 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ Gadd, Michael (15 July 2006). "Mother of all courting disasters". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  21. ↑ "Sophie Delezio returns to school". The Age . 20 July 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2007.
  22. ↑ "Sophie Delezio: My Paralympian Dream". New Idea . 27 June 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  23. ↑ "Burns survivor Sophie Delezio announces huge personal news", 7News, 19 April 2023
  24. ↑ "Sophie Delezio announces 'the greatest gift of all' with exciting family news". 3 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Good can come out of bad". dailytelegraph.com.au.
  26. ↑ Fife-Yeomans, Janet. "Childcare centre danger: Heavy traffic remains free to rush past nearby children". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2016. "They don't look after the safety of the children. It's a big issue and we are going to have more Sophie Delezios. She deserves more than that".
  27. ↑ "List of Nominated Candidates". Electoral Commission NSW. Retrieved 8 April 2017.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.