Girl hurt by gate needs more surgery

A sliding security gate fell on two young girls. Photo / Steven McNicholl

The 4-year-old girl who was crushed under a gate while in Porse homecare has had two operations and will need several more in what is expected to be a long and slow recovery.

Ruby Leota was playing with her caregiver's daughter Mykayla when the two girls were hit by a 100kg metal gate on Tuesday afternoon.

Mykayla was not injured but Ruby's foot was twisted and snapped just above her ankle, forcing the bones through the skin.

Her caregiver, Olivia Butt, had just popped inside to check on a sleeping child when the accident happened at her New Lynn home.

"I heard both girls scream and cry. I knew instantly something was wrong," she said in an incident report.

Grabbing the phone she ran outside to find the girls under the gate, which had been installed by her husband and father-in-law.

"They were both crying and conscious. We asked if they were hurt and Ruby straight away said 'my leg'. Looking down her foot was turned in and there was blood."

Ruby was rushed to hospital in an ambulance and had surgery that night. She had a second operation later in the week and will need several more.

Mrs Butt, who visited Ruby the following day, did not want to speak to the Herald.

In her statement she said she was "so terribly sorry for this awful accident and cannot express enough to Ruby and her family how upset I am. I wish them a lot of love and best wishes, they are never far from my thoughts."

Ruby's grandfather, David Owen, said he was angry the accident happened, especially given there was no stopper on the track to prevent the gate from sliding off.

Mr Owen said Ruby was being cared for by Mrs Butt while her permanent Porse caregiver was on holiday. Porse is an acronym for Play Observe Relate Support Extend.

Ruby, who was due to start school next term, is in plaster and using a wheelchair.

Mr Owen is worried about how his daughter, who will have to take time off work to care for Ruby, will cope and is disappointed Porse has not made more of an effort to help.

A Porse spokeswoman told the Herald it was supporting the caregiver and Ruby's family. It was investigating the accident, as was the Department of Labour.