“OUR little miracle” is what the parents of Patrick O’Sullivan are calling their son after his remarkable recovery from a life-threatening accident on a school fete amusement ride at Highfields, near Toowoomba.
Patrick’s father Barry O’Sullivan said he had “no doubt” an outpouring of prayer after Patrick’s accident had helped his recovery.
Mary MacKillop Primary School principal Donaugh Shirley wondered if Australia’s first saint had anything to do with Patrick’s dramatic turnaround from death’s door and recovery.
Patrick, 5, was admitted in a coma to Brisbane’s Mater Children’s Hospital with head injuries on May 19 after being flung 10m from the fete ride at the school.
Following his remarkable recovery, parents Barry and Emily took their son home from hospital on June 24.
“Paddy’s about 95 per cent back to normal,” Mr O’Sullivan said. “His speech is pretty much normal.
“He’s limping a bit on the left leg which is something to do with having been laying on that side in hospital so much.
“But every day he’s running a bit faster and he’s been kicking a soccer ball around too.”
Mr O’Sullivan said signs asking for prayers for Patrick had gone up at Highfields churches of all denominations after the accident.
Prayer groups from throughout Queensland and further afield contacted the O’Sullivan family to say they were praying for the lad.
“Our parish priest Father Brian Noonan and our Mary MacKillop School principal Donaugh Shirley also visited Paddy and prayed for him while he was in hospital,” he said.
“Donaugh also gave us a Mary MacKillop medal blessed by Pope Benedict which we placed above Paddy’s hospital bed.”
The principal said it was remarkable how many people had been touched by Patrick’s plight.
“We were contacted by hundreds and hundreds of people from all over the world, some who I don’t think had ever prayed before, to say they were praying for Patrick,” she said.
Ms Shirley found profound “a very special time of prayer” which involved 27 staff from the Highfields school in Mary MacKillop Place, Sydney.
“The retreat had been planned well before Patrick’s accident,” she said.
“After the accident, I contacted the Josephite Sisters to ask for their prayers.
“On the retreat, we had a very special prayer time in the room where Mary MacKillop passed away.
“I’m not claiming it was a miracle or anything but in the following few days he started to improve remarkably.
