First steps back home; Little Nikita's recovery amazes medics.

Byline: Rob Pattinson

GUIDED by caring hands Nikita Battye carefully takes her first steps back into the outside world. The brave four-year-old has been allowed home by doctors less than three weeks after being kicked in the head by a horse.

She suffered a fractured skull and had to be air-lifted for emergency surgery to save her life. Eight days later she was brought out of her coma.

Now being together as a family has never meant so much to mum and dad Tina and John.

The couple have kept a constant vigil at their daughter's bedside since the accident on September 8. When medics told them they could take the youngster home on Monday they finally felt like they could start to get on with their lives together again.

John, 41, a community garden manager said: "It just means everything to us. We thought we'd lost her, so to have her home is unbelievable, fantastic, amazing. Nikita had been getting fidgety and bored in hospital and she was missing her border collie puppy, so doctors said she could come home.

"When the three of us pulled up outside the relief was amazing.

"Things aren't quite back to normal. She hasn't finished her medication and she still has a lot of recovering to do, but it's certainly more normal than it has been for the last three weeks."

Unable to get mobile phone reception Mum Tina had to carry Nikita a mile back to the family home in Butterknowle, near Bishop Auckland, in County Durham, after the primary school pupil received the near-fatal blow to the head.

The family believe a gust of wind 'spooked' one of the three horses that mother and daughter were busy feeding in a paddock, when it bolted and its hoof hit Nikita.

Doctors at James Cook Hospital, on Teesside, moved Nikita off the critical list last week, after keeping her in an induced coma for eight days to allow her brain time to recover.

They were so impressed with her progress over the weekend they told her delighted parents she could go home.

John, a former world power-lifting champion, said: "Everyone has been so impressed by her.

"I remember one of the consultant surgeons came in and saw her walking around, and there was just disbelief on his face. It'll be at least a month until her head has healed and she has another week to come off the weaning medication, then she needs regular visits to doctors to make sure she is rehabilitating properly. "We're so indebted to every one who has helped, especially the Great North Air Ambulance and all the staff at the hospital.

I will be indebted to them forever for saving my little girl."

THE Battyes are urging families in the North East to give generously to the charity which saved Nikita's life. The Great North Air Ambulance was able to fly a doctor to the remote Durham Dales where Nikita lives, to treat her immediately, tipping the chances of survival in her favour. This week is Great North Air Ambulance Week. To find out more about donating, call [phone] or go to www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

HAPPY TO BE HOME Four-year-old Nikita Battye takes her first steps back to her house aided by parents John and Tina.