"The little girl we knew died that day" Mum of Parnell Square attack victim speaks out one year on
· IrishCentralThe little girl, who turned six in October, was one of three children attacked outside an Irish-speaking school in the capital and was left fighting for her life.
A year on, almost to the day, her mother has spoken of how she is still haunted by the images of that day.
She recalls seeing her little girl's pink Barbie shoes lying on the ground and her Paw Patrol bag when she rushed to the school and the sight of people desperately battling to save her life.
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She also recalled how excited her daughter had been to start school and wear her uniform, and how she was able to console another parent whose child was safely in the school unharmed after the attack.
Excruciatingly, the mother also mulled over a chance situation that meant her daughter almost missed school that day.
She had been feeling unwell that morning and was running late and spoke of how she almost missed the cut-off point to bring her daughter to school.
One year on, her daughter remains non-verbal and must be fed through a feeding tube. She is unable to walk and requires constant care.
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"The little girl we knew died that day," she told the Irish Independent in a moving interview.
Despite the tragedy of the situation, the family is determined to try and move forward with their lives.
She went on to say: "She did die. So on November 23, we're going to celebrate her second birth. Her rebirth. I think that the important thing to know there is hope and there is beauty and there is love."
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.