ON THE MEND

Hero Dublin creche worker Leanne Flynn Keogh out of hospital after risking life to save kids in Parnell Square attack

The school worker was one of four to be injured in the attack

• Published: 21:37, 22 Jan 2024
• Updated: 21:37, 22 Jan 2024

A HERO school worker who put her life on the line to save kids during a knife attack last year has left hospital.

Creche worker Leanne Flynn Keogh was seriously injured during the incident on Parnell Square East on Thursday, November 23.

She was rushed to the Mater Hospital, where she entered the ICU unit, but was deemed well enough to leave intensive care at the start of December.

While she was then moved to a high dependency unit, Leanne recovered enough in time to be discharged from hospital before Christmas.

She was one of four to be injured in the attack – a boy and girl were treated but released that evening, while a five-year-old spent weeks in intensive care and is still in hospital.

On January 6, a fundraiser for the little girl was updated by her mother, who said the child had entered the third phase of her recovery and would have to “relearn everything as a result of her injury”.

She said: “Hi everyone, our darling girl has now entered the third phase of her recovery.

“This will be the longest as she will relearn everything as a result of her injury.

“She has done really well thus far and the medical team is very happy with her improvement.

“Once again, she is so strong and we are proud to be by her side supporting her, guiding her, and, above all, loving her every step of the way.”

On December 28, the girl’s mum said “our angel” had been out of intensive care for two weeks and was “more alert and even smiled”.

She added: “We still have a long time still in hospital, but she is out of danger.”

Previously, she described her brave little girl as a “warrior”.

Over €70,000 has been raised as part of a fundraising appeal on GoFundMe, called A Hug For A Little Girl.

On December 21, 50-year-old Riad Bouchaker, of no fixed abode, was charged with the attempted murders of two young girls and a little boy in the incident, as well as other offences, and was remanded in custody.