7-year-old stray bullet victim battling for life

MANILA, Philippines—A seven-year-old child who has been inside the surgical intensive care unit of a Quezon City hospital after being hit in the head by a stray bullet during the New Year revelry survived two cardiac arrests early Wednesday, her attending physician said.

In a radio interview, Dr. Emmanuel Bueno of the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon said patient Stephanie Nicole Ella had two cardiac arrests—first around 5 a.m., and second around 10 a.m.

“Tumigil po ang kanyang puso pero sa pagbibigay ng gamot ay nag respond sya at tumitibok nanaman po ang kanyang puso (Her heart stopped beating but through medication her heart responded again),” Bueno said.

He said Ella remained in a “very critical condition” and still on a respirator.

The Department of Health has pledged financial support for Ella’s medical needs, Bueno added.

Bueno earlier said Ella was in “deep comma,” and “any operation won’t do her good in her current condition.” The bullet has not been extracted from her body, and is now near the right side of her left eye.

Ella could undergo surgery to remove the bullet as soon as her “level of consciousness” improves, he said.

“Hindi kritikal iyong bala doon. Iyong injury na dinaanan ng bala ang nagbibigay ng problema sa kanya (The bullet inside her body is just all right. It is the injured bullet path that is causing a problem),” Bueno had said.

Ella was among the 413 injured persons caused by fireworks. Nine of them, including Ella,  were wounded from stray bullets while 404 others sustained injuries due to firecrackers.