Who is Sophie Delezio?
Who is Sophie Delezio? – Sophie Joy Martin Delezio (born 3 April 2001) is an Australian woman who was seriously injured in two car accidents as a child.
Where is Sophie Delezio Now?
Where is Sophie Delezio Now? – Sophie Delezio is currently in Sydney after staying for a while in London. Sophie is presently dating Joseph Salerno, a childhood friend of hers. They met on the same swim team when they were both six years old. “Falling in love with one’s best friend is everyone’s fantasy. She commemorated Valentine’s Day in February by posting an Instagram snapshot of herself with a rose from a fan.
What Happened To Sophie Delezio?
What Happened To Sophie Delezio? – She first made headlines in 2003, when a car slammed into her day care center, severely injuring her. She was hospitalized for several weeks after suffering third-degree burns to 85 percent of her body, losing both feet, a number of fingers, and an ear. In 2006, she was in a second major vehicle accident.
Her family has become big fundraisers and activists for sufferers with illnesses like Sophie’s, as well as helping to collect funds for the Westmead Children’s Hospital.
Delezio is the younger sister of Mitchell Delezio and half-sister of Catherine Delezio and John Delezio. She is the first daughter of Ron Delezio and Carolyn Martin.
Sophie Delezio’s First Accident
Sophie Delezio’s first Accident – Delezio initially came to public prominence on December 15, 2003, when she and Molly Wood, both two years old at the time, were trapped under a burning automobile that had crashed through the window of the Roundhouse Childcare Centre in Fairlight, Sydney, Australia. She had 85 percent of her body burned, spent months in the hospital, and lost both feet, one hand, and her right ear. Wood was burned on 40% of her body, but she has subsequently made a full recovery.
On Monday, June 21, 2004, Delezio was released from Westmead Children’s Hospital. The accident’s circumstances, as well as the children’s rescue by passers-by and emergency personnel (for which a number of people earned bravery medals), made them national news.
Donald John McNeall, the driver who collided with the child care center, was 68 years old at the time of the tragedy. He was found not guilty of negligent driving in a magistrate’s court because it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he had a seizure.
Delezio’s parents established the Day of Difference Foundation in late 2004, a charity dedicated to generating funding for pediatric burns and related disorders research. The charity has raised about $6.5 million as of 2009.
Delezio started at Balgowlah Heights Public School in January 2006. Delezio’s needs necessitated major renovations at the school.
Nobody was held liable for Delezio’s considerable medical expenses because the driver was not determined to be at fault. The charges were covered ex-gratia by the driver’s mandatory third-party insurance carrier, the NRMA. [10] Due to this gap in insurance coverage, the NSW government created the Children’s Special Benefit for children under the age of 16 who do not have access to insurance, and later created a similar scheme called “Blameless Accidents” to cover third parties of any age who are injured in an accident where no one is to blame.
Mark Whittaker, a journalist, earned a Walkley Award in 2005 for his heartbreaking story of the rescue of scores of children from The Roundhouse Childcare Centre by a big group of strangers.
The tale was reworked to become the first chapter of Whittaker’s book, Brave, after it was first published in The Weekend Australian.
Sophie Delezio’s Second Accident
Sophie Delezio’s second Accident – Delezio made national headlines for the second time on May 5, 2006, when she was seriously injured in a car accident.
She was hit by a car while being carried over a crossing by her nanny in a wheelchair near her home in Sydney’s northern beaches, with her service dog Tara by her side. Delezio suffered a heart attack, a broken jaw, a broken shoulder, head injuries, multiple rib fractures, and a lung rip. She was treated at Randwick Children’s Hospital in Sydney. On June 7, 2006, she was released from the hospital and returned home to finish her treatment.
In connection with the second collision, an 80-year-old man named John George Sharman was charged with “dangerous driving causing great bodily harm, negligent driving causing great bodily harm, and not giving way to a pedestrian on a crossing.”
Sharman was placed on an 18-month good behavior bond and had his driving privileges banned for a year after pleading guilty.
While accidents do occur, Delezio’s father believes that the amount of incidences at the pedestrian crossing in question necessitates its reconstruction.
Delezio’s story was featured on Channel 7’s True Stories series on July 16, 2006.
After the accidents, there is life.
On Thursday, July 20, 2006, Delezio returned to Balgowlah Heights Public School.
It was reported in June 2011 that she aspired to be a paralympic swimmer. Later on, she moved to rowing.
She made an appearance in Series 5 of Anh’s Brush with Fame in 2020.
Responses
The Delezio family’s charity has raised more than $14 million as a result of Delezio’s accident, and public awareness of the need for proper support and services for juvenile burns sufferers has grown. On September 10, 2006, some of these money were raised at the Kids 4 Kids Benefit Concert.
The NSW government indicated that it is looking into the prospect of lowering the necessary medical check age for drivers from 80 to 75 years old, and it has agreed to construct traffic signals at the accident site.
Delezio and the two accidents are frequently mentioned in the media, especially when concerns about road safety in the area of educational facilities are addressed.
In the 2017 Manly state by-election, Sophie Delezio’s father, Ron Delezio, ran as an Independent candidate.
