The Star: February 01, 2024

The Star Thursday February 1 2024
12
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Crash survivor reunited with family
who nursed her back to health
• By Chris Barclay
A FRENCHWOMAN’S plea to
reunite with Cantabrians who
assisted her recovery from spinal
injuries caused by a car accident
more than 50 years ago has been
answered.
Dominique Vallette revisited
her near-death experience in The
Star last week, when seeking a
nurse involved in her treatment
and sympathetic family members
who accommodated her
during a lengthy rehabilitation.
Vallette was in traction for
three months in Christchurch
Hospital’s spinal unit after the
car she was driving lost control
on ice on Haast Pass and slid
down a ravine on June 12, 1972.
Then 18, she was eventually
able to walk from the hospital
before spending more recovery
time in Christchurch before returning
to her home in Noumea,
Caledonia.
Vallette has reconnected with
Rosemary and Philip Doherty,
the children of a couple who let
her stay at their house after she
was discharged.
She also received unexpected
correspondence from Allan
52 YEARS ON: Dominique
Vallette was hoping to
reconnect with the family
that helped in her recovery.
Bean, a consultant orthopaedic
surgeon who was part of her
treatment team.
Bean, who is in his 90s, had
a distinguished career at the
Burwood Hospital spinal unit,
which moved from Christchurch
Hospital in 1979.
A small library named in his
honour is a feature of the New
Zealand Spinal Trust Resource
Centre at Burwood.
“He remembered my case
very well. He had very precise
questions as to the physical
consequences of the accident,”
Vallette said.
“I have no memory of him at
all, but we are certainly going
to meet.”
Vallette, who turns 70 in May,
can now ramp up plans to host
a gathering when she returns to
Christchurch during her current
overseas trip.
“It’s just extraordinary. I feel
elated. I was surprised. I take
it as a gift of life,” said Vallette,
who arrives in New Zealand
later this month after travelling
through Asia.
Rosemary Kraushaar (nee
Doherty) was also rapt to learn
of Vallette’s reunion idea after
losing touch with her in the late
1970s.
After being alerted to The Star
report, she reminisced about
Vallette with her mother Helen,
who turns 93 on February 16.
“We had all sorts of memories
going, we were in tears thinking
about Dominique,” Kraushaar
said, before emailing Vallette,
who is currently in Cambodia.
“You lose contact with people,
but you don’t forget the memories.”
The Doherty’s became aware
of Vallette’s predicament after a
relative, amateur radio enthusiast
Arnold Dacombe, alerted the
Frenchwoman’s parents about
the accident.
Kraushaar was able to visit
Vallette in hospital as she was
on placement there as a speech
language therapy student.
“My dad (Jamie, who died
in 2002) spoke conversational
French so they also had a wonderful
connection,” she said.
Kraushaar, 71, had no doubt
Vallette would be able to walk
again.
“She was a very determined
young lady. I could see she was
determined this was not going to
be her life.”
Philip Doherty, who lives in
Whangārei, may also see Vallette
after she arrives in Auckland.
Vallette is also trying to track
down Sue Osborne, a nurse on
ward 13B, and Barbara Chapman,
a young teacher who spoke
French with Vallette in hospital
after reading about her plight.
“A girl wrote to me thinking
she knew Barbara Chapman and
she sent me a picture, but it was
not the right Barbara,” Vallette
said.
• Dominique Vallette
can be reached at:
dovalmi78@gmail.com
FOND MEMORIES: The
Doherty family reached out
to Vallette following last
week’s article in The Star.
Watering is fine in
the morning time
Watering your plants in
the morning when the
sun isn’t out and the wind’s
died down is the best time.
Let’s use water like we oughta
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