AN 11-YEAR-OLD girl who was knocked down by a car as she stepped off a school bus has been moved out of intensive care, while her brother has been discharged from hospital.
Mary O'Neill and her brother Fintan (14) were hit by a car on Staffordstown Road near Randalstown while crossing to their home on Greenan Road on January 17.
The Belfast Trust confirmed that Fintan was discharged from hospital on Friday, while his sister, who had previously been in intensive care, is now described as being in a stable condition.
The brother and sister attend St Patrick's College in Maghera, Co Derry, and have been receiving treatment in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
Mary is thought to have suffered head injuries, while Fintan is understood to have injuries including a broken leg.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, St Patrick's College thanked everyone who had joined the family in praying the Novena.
The college said: "Our pupil remains in a coma but is showing signs of improvement. She was moved out of ICU yesterday, which is great news.
"Please keep praying for a miraculous full recovery. Our Lady of Lourdes pray for her. God bless."
Prayers have been offered around the globe for Mary's recovery.
Last week, a popular religious page on Facebook published a post asking their followers to join in the initiative, with comments from as far afield as Abu Dhabi and New Zealand written in response.
The site of the accident is around a half a mile from Creggan, where a community Road Safety Committee had previously campaigned for traffic calming measures to be put it place.
Last month friends and neighbours were joined by the GAA fraternity at Kickhams Creggan GAC club to offer prayers for the children and their family.
