Life and death

THE bond between Lani Brereton and the emergency crews that saved her will continue for the rest of their lives.
Standing hand in hand last week as Lani bravely told her story, the friendships made with paramedic Darelle Barrett and others who first attended the crash scene are obvious.
Mount Evelyn fire-fighter Ken Mitchell, who was the first responder, said the crash was confronting, but the fact Lani’s parents were there allowed the scene to remain calm.
“She was in obvious pain, but there was a calmness about it all,“ he said.
“Many of us thought she might not make it.
“Crashes happen all year round, but at Christmas, that’s when families really notice an empty space at the dinner table.“
Lani said the emergency services crews had now become part of her family and she couldn’t thank them enough.