Schoolboy moved out of ICU, but needs therapy

TEN days after he was hosptialized following his accidental fall from  the third floor of his school, 7-year-old  Clifford Montana Booc was transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) of Cebu Doctors’ Hospital to a private room.

The transfer was a welcome change for the pupil’s family.

However, doctors said Clifford, who suffered major head injuries,  would need at least one year of therapy since the fall damaged his nerves and caused him to lose basic motor skills like speaking, walking and sitting.

His aunt Mercy Guinita said they have to teach the boy basic steps again  since Clifford can only communicate by crying whenever he’s hungry or uncomfortable.

“We will have to start all over. He has to learn everything again,” she told Cebu Daily News.

She said Clifford has to be fed through a nasogastric tube (NGT) until he can eat and drink on his own.

Clifford fell head first through a gap in weakened grill bars of the  third floor of the Lyceum of Cebu last Aug. 23.

The boy was trying to reach out to the school’s flagpole when he accidentally swung outwards through the open space of the building’s railings.

He slipped into a coma then started to show signs of recovery after a few days.

Doctors said Clifford may be discharged this Saturday.

Lyceum president Lito Astillero said the school  will continue to pay for Clifford’s medical and rehabilitation expenses.

“We will not run away from our responsibility. We will make sure we fulfill what we promised,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Guinita said she was happy to hear about Astillero’s statement and  hopes the school will be true to their commitment.

She said the family may no longer file charges even though Clifford’s mother, Lucy Booc, initially expressed plans of filing cases against Lyceum.

“As long as they keep supporting us, we will no longer file complaints,” she said.

Astillero said the school’s internal  investigation showed that the broken railings were reported to their building administrator, Lito Oracoy, last December, but nothing was done to repair it.

He said a board meeting will be held to determine the sanctions for the people responsible.