Woman struck by falling sofa in Aberdeen 'glad to be alive' Published duration 17 December 2019

media caption Edita Butkeviciute: "When I woke up the second time I saw the sofa just in front of me - a burgundy, three-seater leather sofa."

A woman left seriously injured by a sofa which fell from a building has said she is "glad to be alive".

Edita Butkeviciute, 30, has been in hospital with injuries to her spine, legs and lungs since the incident in Aberdeen city centre on 7 December.

She said she faces three months more in hospital as "everything is broken inside me".

Two men, aged 26 and 31, have been charged after the sofa was allegedly thrown from a building.

Ms Butkeviciute, from Lithuania, had stepped outside at the rear of her work to speak to her boyfriend Daniel Ferreira on the phone when the sofa fell.

She said: "I remember just waking up, I screamed really loud for help and started feeling cold. I couldn't move."

She said she was probably unconscious for some time.

image caption The incident happened at the rear of a building

"When I woke up the second time I saw the sofa just in front of me - a burgundy, three-seater leather sofa," she added. "I didn't know that had come on top of me."

Ms Butkeviciute said she then heard police and ambulance crews.

Her colleagues put warm covers over her, as she had started getting "really, really cold".

She recalled: "All the way to hospital I was asking if I was going to be paralysed. I was telling them 'please call my boyfriend'.

"I remember being in a lot of pain, a lot of x-rays. Everything is broken inside me. I have a lot of broken parts."

'Staying positive'

Ms Butkeviciute has undergone extensive surgery.

She said: "It's like little simple stuff I cannot do now - I will be in here for three months until I fully recover. Thankfully I am not paralysed.

"The doctor said 'you are so lucky'. I am very lucky, I will still be able to live my life as normal. I am alive."

image caption Edita said she is now looking to the future

Asked about spending Christmas in hospital, she joked: "I don't really care - my boyfriend said he will come and sing me Jingle Bells.

"I am very glad I am alive. I am very lucky to be alive."

She has now been moved to Woodend Hospital from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Speaking about the coming months, she said: "I know it will be hard but I am staying positive. I am very very positive, stubborn. I will try my best.

"I know I will be able to walk again."

A report on the case has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.