Mother and son's hospital reunion

Monique Lints with 2-year-old Aiden at Starship hospital. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Aiden Lints lies happily on a hospital bed, his little fingers flicking through the pages of a book about animals.

He hears a voice and turns his head towards the door.

A woman says: "Aiden ... mummy's here!"

The little boy reaches out to hold her hand as mum Monique Lints begins to cry.

Mother and son have not seen each other for two weeks.

The last time Mrs Lints saw her 2-year-old son was on March 9, after a car accident that left her with a cracked pelvis and a broken wrist.

Doctors had just told her and husband Grenville Lints that as a result of the accident Aiden may not walk again and that he had to be rushed to Auckland for treatment.

The couple, their two children and a 3-year-old family friend were travelling back to their home in Te Puke from Whakatane when they collided head-on with a van.

"It was just a huge shock," she said.

"To come out and be told that your little boy might not be able to walk was a shock. And for him to be taken away from me as well, was so hard.

"Not being able to go with him - I'm his mummy. I should be with him."

Mrs Lints' injuries meant she had to be taken to Tauranga Hospital for treatment.

The couple's younger son, 8-month-old Danyon, the 3-year-old family friend and Mr Lints had bruising and did not need further treatment.

Aiden, who was in a booster chair in the back seat, had a suspected spinal injury and a broken leg. Although he has shown some signs of movement in his left leg, the grim prognosis remains.

He has been getting treatment at Starship children's hospital for two weeks and has had weights put in his right leg.

Mrs Lints' mother has been with him, while Aiden's father has had to travel back and forth for the past two weeks to see his son as well as his wife in two different hospitals.

Mrs Lints was discharged from hospital on Wednesday and travelled to Auckland yesterday to finally be with her little boy.

In his hospital room yesterday, Aiden touched a long diagonal scar running across his mother's chest - a sign that having her seatbelt on had ultimately saved her life.

She told her son, "Mummy's got ouchies. But it's okay, Aiden, I'm okay."

Mrs Lints said the day of the accident had been a family day out.

"We had a picnic at the park and we went to the beach and had a paddle in the water."

She described the moments before the crash.

"It was like slow-motion. I remember just thinking, 'why is the van coming over to our side?'

"After the crash, I turned towards my husband and he looked at me and we just went, 'the kids'.

"We could hear them all screaming and that was the moment of relief - we knew they were all right."

The family focus is now on Aiden's recovery.

Mrs Lints said: "He's a tough little boy. It's going to take a while but we are all staying positive for him."