Doctors yet to decide whether teen can undergo surgery

Shot waitress

As the condition of Onika Luke, the teen waitress who was shot during an attempted robbery, continues to improve, doctors are yet to decide whether or not she should be operated on to remove the bullet which is now lodged in her stomach.
Initially, the teen was slated for surgery to remove the bullet, which was at the time stuck in her throat.
However, prior to the operation, doctors had discovered that the bullet had passed through Luke’s windpipe and oesophagus, ending up in her stomach.

As a result, the surgery had been postponed, as doctors were monitoring the position of the bullet.
Luke’s brother, Rickford Ranjee, told this newspaper that his sister’s condition was improving and she was now able to speak and move around a little.
However, he related that doctors were still unsure whether or not the teen should undergo surgery to remove the bullet.
Ranjee explained that on Friday last, he had received information that the bullet had moved from his sister’s throat and into her stomach; therefore, causing doctors to rethink the surgery.
Subsequent to the discovery, it was indicated to the teen’s family by the chest specialist that a scan was required to ascertain the direct position of the bullet in her stomach.
“They told me that they have to do a scan on her to see if it would be harmful to take the bullet out or leave it there. Doctors said that they have to check if she would be able to live with the bullet in her,” he related. The teen remains a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Woodlands Hospital.
Ranjee added that Police were still hunting for clues that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrator.
Luke had been shot after resisting a lone gunman who had entered the Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant, where she was at the time working as a waitress.
According to reports, the gunman ordered a meal and after collecting his order had demanded that the teen hand over the cash while pointing a gun at her.
While brushing the gun away, the 16-year-old had been shot to her arm, but the bullet had made its way to her throat where it remained for a number of days.
It is understood that the man had recently threatened to kidnap Luke and he was a frequent customer.
Luke is a student of St John’s College and had started the job at the restaurant three months ago, working the 17:00h-22:00h shift.
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Photo: Luke
Caption: Onika Luke