There have been positive signs the condition of former All Black Jerry Collins' orphaned baby daughter is improving, a friend says.
Eleven-week-old Ayla Collins yesterday remained in a critical condition in a French hospital, eight days after suffering bleeding on the brain in the horror smash in southern France that killed Collins and Ayla's mum, Canadian Alana Madill.
Madill's parents, Darrell and Ruth Madill, and her sisters, Nora Dureau and Brenna Smith, are at Ayla's bedside.
Family friend Bree Cannon told the Herald on Sunday yesterday she had spoken with members of the Madill family and within the last couple of days Ayla had shown signs of improvement.
"They've been able to pull some of the tubes that she had. They had her cooled; she is no longer cooled. She's more stable than she was. Her condition has improved, for sure, compared to what it was a week ago, so she's making small improvements.
"They have the capacity, newborns particularly, for their brains and all of that to recover quite well from something like this, so there's hope."
Madill's family were taking things "day by day" and no decisions had yet been made about Ayla's future.
In an obituary published in the Regina Leader-Post this week, family wrote that a service for Madill, 35, would be held at a later date because of Ayla's situation. They asked for people to make donations in memory of Collins and Madill to a trust fund set up for Ayla.
Another fund set up for the baby's future through Give a Little had topped $35,000 by yesterday.
Collins, 34, will be farewelled on Wednesday at a service expected to attract a huge crowd of mourners at Te Rauparaha Arena in his hometown of Porirua. Collins' former manager Tim Castle confirmed on Friday Madill's father Darrell and sister Nora would attend.
Collins' body is expected to arrive in Wellington today. Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and France-based former All Black Chris Masoe are among friends bringing him home.
Ron Wood, the president of Collins' former rugby club Norths, expected a march in Collins' honour today would be well attended.
"The public are welcome. It'll be quite massive," he said.
By Cherie Howie of the Herald on Sunday
