Father makes heartfelt plea to keep family close after two children injured in serious car crash

The father of two people who were badly injured in a North Otago car crash had made a plea to mend relationships with whānau after he came close to losing his daughter.

"I challenge you out there right now, if you have a kid or estranged family members or anything man you really need to put selfishness aside and put whatever hassles and what has been done aside, and you need to reconcile and tell them you love them and tell them you need to be there for them," Joseph Cropley said in a heartfelt message posted to his Facebook.

His children Ajah, 20, and Tain Cropley, 22, along with two others, were injured in a single vehicle crash on SH83 between Otematata and Omarama last week.

Police confirmed they responded to the crash on 7.30pm on August 22.

The crash was being investigated by the Serious Crash Unit.

Tain suffered moderate injuries and had been discharged from the hospital and was recovering well but his sister had not fared so well.

"She had three breaks in her spine, all the ribs on the right side were broken, a punctured lung and her whole facial structure is shattered.

"It's a miracle anyone got out of the crash. So far she has had her spine operated, it was a success and no complications."

Ajah went into surgery for her face this morning and it was a success, he said.

Although Ajah had been injured almost beyond belief, she was making a "miraculous" recovery and her spirits were high despite the circumstances.

But as her time in the hospital grew longer and longer the cost was starting to mount up, especially since his wife Kaira had to step down from her job to be with her daughter.

Cropley was travelling between Oamaru and Dunedin, an hour and a half's drive, several times a week and his wife was now looking at getting a flat to be close to her.

In that time she had been staying in a motel.

That had put a strain on them financially and a family friend had set up a givealittle page to help them through the tough time.

More than $2600 has been raised so far.

Cropley posted a heartfelt video that brought many close to him to tears. He pleaded for people to keep their whānau close and let the past stay there.

"That was the whole purpose of the video, I did it after my kids saw Ajah for the first time.

"They were crying and quite upset by it all. The only reason we are getting together."

Through his youth work through the Salvation Army and his time coaching boxing he saw some children who did have the support of their family.

It was support of his whānau that has carried them this far, he said.

Close family friend and St Kevin's College, Oamaru, old boy Tom Squire was also badly injured in the crash. He went to Dunedin Hospital ICU along with Ajah.

"Tom and our family are really close and this has brought us closer together.

"We sort of all binding together. Tom is super close friend, he's a second son to me."