Father’s hospital vigil for seriously injured four-year-old boy
Published: 08 September 2011
EXCLUSIVE by PAVAN AMARA
THE father of a little boy who is fighting for his life after being hit by a bus has told the New Journal he has not lost hope that the four-year-old will make a full recovery.
Amir Ardalan Motahhar was yesterday (Wednesday) in a “critical condition” following a collision with a No 46 bus at the corner of Malden Road and Southampton Road, Gospel Oak, last Wednesday.
The accident took place the day before Amir’s fourth birthday and he was due for his first day at St Dominic’s School this week.
Single parent Majid Motahhar, 37, broke off from his vigil by his son’s bedside late on Tuesday night to tell the New Journal: “I spend most of my time in hospital so when he finally wakes up he’ll see a familiar face.
“It’s far too early to be negative – I am really hoping he is OK. I want to make him smile again.”
Mr Motahhar, a widower, said he hoped to take Amir and his brother on holiday to his homeland Pasdaran, in Iran, at Christmas, adding: “What I really hope is that my son will be well enough to go, and be hugged by all his
family.”
Mr Motahhar said he had planned to buy Amir his favourite toys for his birthday – a Ben 10, the shape-shifting alien cartoon, popular with young boys, and a Buzz Lightyear figure. He recalled Amir amazement when he “met” Buzz Lightyear during a family trip to Disneyland, Paris.
He said: “He is such a sweet, clever boy, if you could see him you would see how much he laughs and what a personality he has.
For his birthday I was going to get him this Ben 10 because that is what he wanted, and a Buzz Lightyear toy because he’s Buzz Lightyear mad.”
“When I first saw him lying in the road I was terrified because his left leg was in a totally unusual position.
“Certain things are working like his kidneys – but other things we are not sure.
“It was a shock when it happened, he shouted tremendously for a child aged four, but he was responsive. I said to him, ‘don’t move darling, just stay as you are’, and he said, ‘Oh ok, ok’, and tilted his face to the side.
“It’s still a big pain in my heart to see my child like this.”
The circumstances that led to the accident remain unclear.
Police at the Traffic Collision Unit have launched an investigation and are appealing for witnesses.
No arrests have been made and the bus driver stopped at the scene.
It is understood that Amir had crossed the road at the zebra crossing, following his nine-year-old brother.