The mother of a boy who was doused in scalding hot coffee by a stranger and left with life-threatening injuries has reached a major milestone in his recovery.
Just weeks after his first birthday, and for the first time since the horrific attack less than two months ago, little Luka is without bandages.
Once completely covered from his head to his torso, the brave toddler just smiled at the camera as his proud mother took to Instagram to give an update on his progress.
“The strength, bravery and courage you have shown over the past month is nothing short of amazing,” she said.
Several photos showed the baby boy happily walking around their home as his injuries appeared to have healed dramatically.
Luka was attacked by the stranger on August 27 while picnicking with his mother in Hanlon Park, south-east Brisbane.
He suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms and has undergone four operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
“I can’t even imagine how much pain my baby was in that day,” his mother wrote on a montage of photos showing his recovery process.
The mother of a boy who was doused in scalding hot coffee by a stranger and left with life-threatening injuries has reached a major milestone in his recovery
Just weeks after his first birthday, and for the first time since the horrific attack less than two months ago, little Luka is bandage-free
“This is the part of the burn where the nerves weren’t singed off, so he felt it all. The pain I felt from the small burns was intense, let alone of this magnitude.”
She ended her update confessing that she is still very emotional about the ordeal.
“This makes me so sad that my son had to endure so much pain,” she wrote.
Hoping for a new start for their small family, the couple bought their first home.
“When all this happened, we couldn’t even think about the future because we didn’t know what Luka’s future would look like. “It didn’t feel good to be happy when Luka was suffering,” she wrote on social media last week.
“But with Luka’s strength and continued healing, we have resumed our search and now have something positive to look forward to.
‘A new start, somewhere where we can create new, pleasant memories. We are looking forward to our future and it feels good.’
A 33-year-old Chinese national on a student visa was identified Thursday as the man suspected of the cowardly attack.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for the man for acts with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, which carries a life sentence.
The man drove to NSW a day after the alleged attack before leaving the country from Sydney on August 31.
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Massingham told Radio 4BC on Thursday that the suspect’s name had been published in Chinese media.
Police said the 33-year-old man had no family or criminal record in Australia and had worked in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
But hoping for a new start for their small family, the couple bought their first home
A 33-year-old Chinese national on a student visa was identified Thursday as the man suspected of the cowardly attack
Daily Mail Australia understands he has been on a holiday visa since first coming to Australia in 2019, before switching to a student visa.
According to Chinese media, he was reportedly born in Hangzhou, China.
“We are deeply committed to finding the person responsible,” Mr Massingham said.
“That child will have those injuries for life.”
Queensland Police Detective Paul Dalton said the suspect is believed to have fled the country just 12 hours after they identified him.
‘I have thirty detectives working for me. “They are devastated that they have missed this person for 12 hours,” he said.
“I was deflated, but that deflation quickly turned into determination and resilience to get the job done.”