The mother of a baby boy who was doused in scalding hot coffee by a stranger and left with life-threatening injuries has opened up on a major milestone in his recovery.
Just weeks from his first birthday, and for the first time since the horrific attack less than two months ago, little Luka is bandage-free.
Once completely covered from his head to his torso, the brave tot was all smiles for the camera as his proud mum took to Instagram to give an update on his progress.
‘The strength, bravery and courage you have shown over the past month has been nothing short of amazing,’ she gushed.
Multiple photos showed the baby boy walking happily at their home with his injuries appearing to have drastically healed.
Luka was attacked by the stranger while picnicking with his mum at Hanlon Park, in inner south east Brisbane, on August 27.
He suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arms and has undergone four operations at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
‘I cant even begin to imagine how much pain my baby was in that day,’ his mother wrote across a montage of photographs showing his recovery process.
The mother of a baby boy who was doused in scalding hot coffee by a stranger and left with life-threatening injuries has opened up on a major milestone in his recovery
Just weeks from 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 that didn’t have the nerves singed off so he felt it all. The pain I’ve felt from the tiny burns has been intense let alone this size.’
She finished her update confessing she still feels very emotional about the ordeal.
‘This makes me so sad that my boy had to go through such pain,’ she wrote.
Hopeful for a fresh start for their little family, the couple have purchased 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 right to be happy when Luka was suffering,’ she wrote on social media last week.
‘However with Luka’s strength and ongoing healing, we restarted our search and now have something positive to look forward to.
‘A fresh start, somewhere we can create new happy memories. We are looking forward to our future and it feels good.’
A 33-year-old Chinese national on a student visa was identified on Thursday as the man suspected of the cowedly attack.
Police obtained a warrant for the man’s arrest for acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm, which carries a life sentence as a maximum penalty.
The man drove to NSW a day after the alleged attack before flying out of 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 hopeful for a fresh start for their little family, the couple have purchased their first home
A 33-year-old Chinese national on a student visa was identified on Thursday as the man suspected of the cowedly attack
Daily Mail Australia understands he had been on a holiday visa since first coming to Australia in 2019, before switching to a student visa.
He was reportedly born in Hangzhou, China, according to Chinese media.
‘We are very much committed to finding the individual responsible,’ Mr Massingham said.
‘That child will have those injuries for life.’
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said the suspect allegedly fled the country just 12 hours after they identified him.
‘We’ve got 30 detectives working for me. They’re devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours,’ he said.
‘I was deflated, but that deflation quickly turns into determination and resilience to get the job done.’
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