The teenager stabbed in the face in Wanganui will spend
Christmas in intensive care at Wellington Hospital.
Manutahi Edwards was stabbed in the face with a screwdriver
last week, reportedly because he was wearing a blue cap, a
colour associated with the Black Power gang.
The attack happened about 7pm on Wednesday on the corner of
the Keith and Glasgow streets.
He was initially taken to Wanganui Hospital but transferred
overnight to Wellington Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.
His father Len Kahui said yesterday medical staff had told
him that the back of his son's brain was swelling.
"It is the part that controls his breathing, swallowing and
controls the temperature of the blood. So they said there was
no way Manutahi would be leaving the unit for weeks. They
said he will be there till after Christmas."
Medical staff told Mr Kahui on Sunday that the stabbing into
Manutahi's cheekbone had been so violent it had pushed a
piece of bone up into his brain.
"The bone is in a bad position and the doctors said it was
too dangerous to operate (and) that only time would be the
healer."
By Lin Ferguson of the Wanganui Chronicle
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