Hospitalised jockey Leah Kilner made a touching plea with her first words after waking from a coma.
The 24-year-old has been receiving treatment in her native Australia following a serious accident at Grafton Racecourse. Kilner was badly hurt when her mount Stella's Turn came down mid-race on July 3.
Rushed to hospital after coming off the two-year-old filly, the young rider was placed in a coma as she battled her injuries. She had surgery to release the pressure on her brain at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Kilner also broke her collarbone and ribs during the high-speed crash, which concerned the racing community.
But in recent days, the prognosis became more positive, when Kilner squeezed her mum Siobhan's hand. Medical staff were able to remove the sportswoman's breathing tubes as she started to recognise family and friends at her bedside.
Despite facing a long road to recovery and not knowing if she will ride again, Kilner's first thought was for her equine companions.
The jockey told her dad Greg, a trainer: "Don't give away the horses."
Kilner has been able to stand with assistance for a short period of time, as well as taking in a small amount of food and water. Pictured holding a toy horse in her hospital bed, Kilner also recently watched some racing on a TV nearby.
Greg added via News Corp : "Leah must have thought I was going to give up training because of all this, and she didn’t want me to.
"It is unbelievable how she has come through, it’s really a miracle, if you had seen her in the first couple of days it was just heartbreaking.
"When she got shifted from intensive care into a ward she got a TV and she flicked through the channels and put it straight on to racing.com and sat down and watched the races. Now she is recognising everyone and knows what’s going on. She is aware of everything. It is amazing."
The positive update comes just days after British jockey Josh Moore completed his lengthy hospital stay.
He returned home three months on from a bad fall in April and subsequent complications during his recovery. Moore was given a warm welcome when he walked into the family's Sussex yard on Saturday morning.
"It meant so much to us as a family and all the staff who were there, while some of our owners were as well," his mum Jayne said.
The Grade 1-winning rider will now be assisted by rehabilitation centre Oaksey House.
