COURTESY PHOTO Julia Engle, right, who sustained severe head injuries when a tree fell on her Manoa home nearly two months ago, poses with her sister, Christina, and her mother, Debbie. Julia returned home Friday after being released from the hospital.

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Engle still foggy
after tree crash

The seventh-grader is looking forward
to a special Mother's Day

Manoa seventh-grader Julia Engle still has a long road of recovery ahead after sustaining severe head injuries nearly two months ago when a large pine tree crashed on her bedroom while she was asleep in bed.

But she's gradually returning to normal, her mother said. She had a make-up party with friends Friday when she returned home from the hospital.

Today, she's looking forward to a poolside Mother's Day celebration.

"It's such a special Mother's Day," said Julia's mother, Debbie. "It just makes me treasure each moment."

On March 15 a 75-foot tall Norfolk Island pine tree crashed on the girl's bedroom. After the incident, Engle was in a coma for weeks.

When she woke up, the Punahou student wasn't able to talk or walk.

Debbie Engle said her daughter will undergo outpatient therapy, and still needs work to improve her speech and motor skills.

"It's just a wait-and-see," she said, referring to the progress of her daughter's recovery.

Engle also said that Julia, through conversations with family members, knows about the incident that left her injured, but it's still unclear if she remembers what happened.

The family's attorney has said the tree that crashed on the family's Beckwith Street home had extensive termite damage. After the incident, the city removed seven other Norfolk pines from the street, all of which had decay caused by termites.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann also agreed last month, responding to a request from the family, to remove a healthy pine tree next to the Engle's home.