Little battler talks six weeks after horrific accident

"THE doctors keep telling me it's early days and they don't know what the outcome will be for her."

Abbie Sweeper, 10, receives a special visitor at the ICU in the Brisbane Children's Hospital. Picture: Facebook

LITTLE battler Abbie Sweeper is learning how to combine her home and hospital life, with school works starting up again and social calls from her puppy.

The 10-year-old, who is recovering from severe injuries she sustained when she fell from her horse during a Laidley and District Pony Club gymkhana, has been in the Intensive Care Unit at the Queensland Children's Hospital for the past six weeks.

Her mother Amanda Visser said Abbie's ability to talk was beginning to return and, among her first requests, was to see her pet dogs.

Two of the family's more compact dogs were brought into Abbie's room for a visit.

"Molly and Paris were snuck in to brighten up her day and she loved it," Ms Visser said.

While the canine company had Abbie smiling, the Year 5 student has also had to do some schoolwork.

"We got the school teacher in (to the hospital) to start working with her," Ms Visser said.

"Abbie told me she was bored so mummy organised school for her."

While Abbie is still unable to breathe or move voluntarily, she has been playing card games with the hospital staff with her mother's help.

Her spinal shock has begun to settle, which doctors noted after Abbie responded to tests with slight reflexes.

While Abbie has been mostly communicating through mouthing words, her voice has also started to return.

"We're getting better at lip-reading but we're starting to get a bit more air through her vocal chords," Ms Visser said.

"She can speak - it's very croaky and squeaky but, as the breath is coming out, she is trying to learn how to coordinate the timing so when she's talking, the air is coming through her vocal chords."

Despite the good news, Ms Visser said the family was still in limbo.

"The doctors keep telling me it's early days and they don't know what the outcome will be for her," she said.

Originally published as Little battler talks six weeks after horrific accident