'Hug your family a bit tighter': Young Irish woman still fighting after being hit by a car in Italy

Hannah Leonard

The father of a young Irish woman who is still recovering after being struck by a car in Italy has reminded people to hug their loved ones “a bit tighter” this Christmas.

Hannah Leonard, aged 22, was completing her final long-distance training run for the Dublin Marathon on October 6 when the incident happened.

The Wicklow woman was jogging along the Andrea Doria Avenue in Catania at about 5.30pm when she was struck by a car driven by a man in his 20s, who stopped to help. After suffering from extensive injuries and undergoing neurosurgery in San Marco Hospital, she remains in intensive care, where her condition is stable.

In an update shared on Christmas Eve on a GoFundMe page set up for the young woman, her father, Kevin, issued an update.

He said the family had been visiting Hannah in the ICU, where its corridors are decorated with Christmas trees and ornaments.

Last week, Hannah underwent another successful surgery but still has “a long journey” ahead of her.

“As always, we have the utmost faith in her and her strength and determination. Since the surgery, Hannah’s progress has been steady. She has been taken back off the ventilator, her medications have been reduced and in another good sign she hasn’t had a temperature. The catheters are now gone from her head and a wound drain that had been in place after the surgery has been removed. 

"She continues to have just her left eye open but she seems to be taking in everything that is going on around her, plenty of big yawns from her, she continues to move her mouth as we talk with her like she is trying to join in the conversations and last night she gave us a lot more stretches and body movement than I think we have ever seen,” he said.

Each night, the family visits Hannah, who always has her trusty teddy, Roary, by her side. And each day, the nurses place Roary in a different position — but always near the young woman.

Kevin said the nurses presented the family with a little gift ahead of Christmas.

“We were both totally bowled over, as it should be us that's showing our gratitude to them. Having so many of Hannah’s medical team in front of us gave us the opportunity to express our thanks to them for just how amazing they have been, not just to Hannah, but to our whole family,” he said.

This year, Christmas is like “no other” for the Leonards.

“This will be like no other Christmas for our family, the biggest gift being that Hannah is still fighting. Hannah has always embraced the Christmas season, rising early each Christmas morning to see if Santa Claus had been. It will be a sombre occasion punctuated by the outpouring of love and support from everyone,” he said.

Kevin thanked the public for their ongoing support, which has brought the family “comfort and warmth, like a blanket being wrapped around you on a cold winters evening”.

He added that if they have learned anything out of this experience, it’s that Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree.

“Christmas is about family, about love and about those that you hold close in your heart. Hug your family members and friends a bit tighter this year, enjoy the moments with your children as they do grow up fast and be thankful for those around you.

“From us, to all of you that have supported Hannah, we hope that you have a wonderful Christmas,” he said.