But far from dwelling on the lack of justice yet to be served, both Steph and her mother refuse to be drawn into accusations with regard to the perpetrator Steph refers to as a “monster”.

“He’s just a chicken,” Steph said.

“He should have stopped and he should fess up.

“But it was his mistake and he has to live with that for the rest of his life.”

Diahann said she had nothing more to say about the driver.

“I can’t keep saying ‘confess, confess, confess’,” she said.

“I’ve said it all.

“What he did was just shocking but it’s time to move on.”

As part of their healing process both mother and daughter said they wanted to thank the many people who helped them during the harrowing past few months.

“From the couple who drove me up to the hospital straight after the accident to the woman who stopped and helped the girls and everyone who stopped at the scene and helped I would like to say ‘thankyou’,” Diahann said.

She extended special words of gratitude to the Leprechaun service station in Dawesville, the Dawesville Holiday Village and the Ocean Road Primary School, all of whom had been “very supportive”.

“Obviously I also want to thank Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Shenton Park rehabilitation centre and the orthopaedic and neurosurgery teams at the hospital,” Diahann said.

“Everyone helped in their own way and the community has been so supportive.”

Both Diahann and Steph were extremely grateful to Stephs’ friends who were constant visitors at her bedside during the long weeks in hospital.

Steph said it was “good to know there are people out there who really do care”.

She received many cards during her stay in hospital – some from people she had never met – and she has kept every one of them.

Now keen to get back to school to finish year 11, Steph said Mandurah Senior Campus, where she is a student, had been great with helping her keep up with her work.

Plans were being put in place to ensure Steph would be able to cope with the workload and she will have to be extra careful to avoid risks of injury.

“She can’t be in a situation where she could bump her head,” Diahann said.

“Another head injury would be devastating.”

But Steph is refusing to let anything stop her achieving her dreams and Diahann looks set to be supportive of her daughter every step of the way.

“None of what’s happened should stop Steph leading a normal life,” Diahann said.

“She can still be independent.”

“I still want to go travelling,” Steph said.

“And I want to do hairdressing and make-up application.”

But for now the girl with the ready laugh and infectious grin is simply happy to be alive.

“I definitely feel like I’ve been given a second chance,” she said.

“I always thought there was a future ahead.

“It’s all good.”