Nine-year-old Michelle Hambongo finally took pictures in her flower, girl dress, eight months after her parents wedding. Hambongo is on a recovery journey, after a hit-and-run accident in December, a week before her father’s wedding.
Her father, 33-year-old Salem Hambongo, a biology and life science teacher from the Duinesig High School at Walvis Bay, returned happily from his fiancé’s village Oshikunde on 18 December, after his engagement ceremony.
His joy was, however, short- lived on reaching his family house at Ongha, only to find relatives crying and telling him that his daughter was hit by a car. Everybody suspected that the girl had died, because she landed hard on the ground.
He was told that his daughter suffered traumatic brain damage and that there was blood on her brain. Staff at the Ongwediva Medipark confirmed her condition and said that there was a 50/50 chance of survival.
Hambongo, who had to proceed with his wedding without his flower girl, said his daughter was a fighter who had shocked family and doctors with the way she pushed herself to walk and talk, as her parents spent hours in prayer. Michelle, who was partially blind and unable to walk or speak, is now back at Walvis Bay, walking and running
She turned nine on 18 August and was overjoyed to finally put on her flower girl dress to take pictures.
“I feel so bad. I wish they could start over, I was supposed to celebrate the wedding but because of that car… “I felt very happy today, but still sad because I couldn’t celebrate the wedding. I am happy for mommy and daddy. I was far from the road. I feel bad because of that car. I do not even know how it came to me, I wanted to be the flower girl,” said Michelle. “My wife and I were excited seeing our daughter jubilantly wearing her flower girl outfit. It was emotional, but Jesus Christ comforted us not to burst into tears of joy. We want to say that God is the Almighty and
His yes is a yes indeed. In the midst of twists and turns of the scare of the adversity, Michelle had to wear her attire and it was purposed,” he said.
Paediatrician and ICU doctor Sera Munthali, who treated Michelle at Ongwediva Medipark, previously told The Namibian that she and her colleagues were very happy and surprised at the girl’s quick recovery.
“She came in on 19 December and was discharged on 6 January. We admitted her to the intensive care unit with severe traumatic brain injury. She sustained bleeding on the brain and lungs. She has made a remarkable recovery. It gives us hope to continue,” Munthali said.
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