A bucket list trip to watch the Finke Desert Race has turned to tragedy for a Pilbara mother and daughter after the nine-year-old was hit by a spectator's four-wheel drive.
Ruby McKie remains in an induced coma in Alice Springs Hospital, with significant facial fractures and other head and body injuries, after the incident on day two of the Central Australian motorsport event.
The pair had travelled to Alice Springs to work as pit crew for friends when Ruby was struck by the spectator's vehicle on Monday on a service road that was next to the race track.
Ruby's mother Renee rushed to her daughter and was initially concerned that Ruby's injuries were much worse, given the amount of blood.
"I don't know if words can describe it. Just absolutely horrific," she said.
A nurse standing nearby organised an ambulance and aeromedical assistance.
"I got a response out of my daughter, which calmed me as much as I could to continue to help her with what she needed," Ms McKie said.
"Then the paramedics gave her lots of painkillers which supported to get her onto the stretcher and then into the helicopter."
Ms McKie then travelled for more than an hour by dirt road to the Alice Springs hospital to meet Ruby.
"[It] felt like the longest drive ever, as you could imagine," she said.
Ms McKie said her daughter suffered a number of fractures and remained in ICU in an induced coma.
"She has fractures on her cheek bone. She had the lacerations on her lip, and her tongue ... so she has inhaled some blood as well. So there's potential for issues in her lungs there.
Ms McKie said surgeons successfully pinned Ruby's femur.
"They fixed the [broken femur] and put pins and the wires into the femur, which has stopped a lot of bleeding as well," Ms McKie said.
"And we got an MRI yesterday [and] we're still waiting on the final report.
"She's been kept still because they want to obviously clear her spine before they move her.
"So they haven't woken her up for pain and to make sure her spine is fine."
Backpack stolen
Stuck a long way from family and friends in Western Australia, Ms McKie said the most difficult part would be when Ruby was woken up.
Unfortunately, during the first few days of Ruby's hospital admission, Ms McKie's backpack, which was in her friend's car, was stolen.
The crime meant many of the pair's belongings were also gone.
"I have probably been living in these trackie pants for about a week," Ms McKie said.
"I need to go to the laundromat and do some washing but it's kind of been a bit [lesser] priority."
Given Ruby's injuries, Ms McKie said she would be based in Alice Springs for the next several weeks.
"We're trying to see if we need to buy a cheap vehicle [so I can] get out and do my laundry or get to the shops if I need to," she said.
A GoFundMe page had been established and had already raised over $20,000 to help the family.
"It warms my heart so much. There is a great, close-knit community up in the Pilbara as well," Ms McKie said.
"It's obviously going to be extremely helpful. There is going to be months of rehab, as well."
Northern Territory Police are investigating the incident.
The driver, a 32-year-old man, was not a competitor in the race and has been assisting police with inquiries.
