First photograph of four-year-old girl since she was injured in the Christchurch massacre emerges as family reveal she is now sitting up and responding to questions
- Alen Darahgmih, four, is seen for the first time since the Christchurch shooting
- She can sit up, respond to questions in one word and is making daily progress
- The young girl has brain damage and had eight surgeries for gunshot wounds
- Her father Wasseim Alsati was also shot in the hip and cannot walk as of yet
A four-year-old girl has been pictured for the first time with her smiling family since she was shot multiple times in the Christchurch massacre that killed 50 people.
Young Alen Darahgmih can sit up slightly for half an hour, respond to questions with one word answers and is 'making daily progress', after a lengthy ordeal that saw the child endure eight surgeries.
Her progress has filled her family with hope. When Alen first woke up, she could not see, hear or recognise anyone.
But a picture shared on Friday shows her sitting up surrounded by family - including her father Wasseim Alsati, who was also shot multiple times, as they both recover.
Alen Darahgmih, 4, has been pictured for the first time surrounded by family since she was shot multiple times in the Christchurch massacre that killed 50 people
Relatives made a Give A Little page to 'make sure the family is financially stable in the future'.
'We are unsure as to what she can and can't see,' the page said.
'She can not yet move her body with control, and her eyes do not track or fix on anyone.
'She managed to swallow a teaspoon of water today. No solids yet.
'Please keep praying with us - every small development is very exciting.
'Wasseim is not currently walking but is expecting to walk again when fully recovered.'
Father Wasseim Alsati (pictured with Alen) held back tears from his hospital bed as he explained his daughter has brain damage and has been through eight surgeries
Mr Alsati, a barber, held back tears when he revealed his daughter had brain damage before some of the small developments had been made.
'My daughter Alen woke up five days ago and she's had a lot of surgeries... seven to eight surgeries,' Mr Alsati said.
'She has brain damage at the moment and the doctor has told us they need four to six months to know how bad the damage is.
'My daughter woke up and she doesn't know us and she cannot see us and she cannot hear us at all.
'I don't know if my daughter is cold or warm or if my daughter is replying back to me at all but we're all waiting.'
Young Alen can sit up slightly for half an hour, respond to questions with one word answers and is 'making daily progress'
Mr Alsati thanked Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern, doctors, nurses, friends and family.
'Keep praying for us, we need that. Thank you for being beside us guys,' he said.
'I cannot wait until we all feel better and come back home to Christchurch.
'I miss home. I miss everybody.'
The father and daughter are both in hospital recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. 'I cannot wait until we all feel better and come back home to Christchurch,' Mr Alsati said
The alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with 50 counts of murder.
The Australian-born man is accused of gunning down almost 100 people in a sickening attack on the Al Noor and Linwood mosques that was live-streamed and shared to Facebook.
He has previously requested to represent himself in court, and in his last court appearance he smirked and gave a white supremacist sign with his hand.
