New Zealand
Jerry Collins' daughter to suffer ongoing disabilities
July 17, 2015

Jerry Collins' orphaned baby daughter is likely to suffer ongoing disabilities and need intense care, medical experts say.

Three-month-old Ayla is now safely in Canada with grandparents Ruth and Darrell Madill, having survived the car crash in southern France that killed her rugby star father and mother Alana Madill a month ago, but the former All Blacks' star's agent, Tim Castle, said in a statement that "current medical opinion is that, sadly, little Ayla will likely suffer ongoing disabilities, the full extent of which cannot yet be known".

"Ayla will need intense ongoing care," Castle said in the statement.

"As might be expected, little Ayla continues to demonstrate her fighting qualities and strength - reminiscent of both her mother and father."

The infant was critically injured in the crash, but surgery to relieve a fluid build-up on her brain was successful and her condition has since improved.

A trust fund set up for Ayla via a givealittle page has so far attracted pledges of more than $NZ52,000, more than double the initial target.

© AAP

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