Toddler in hospital after 6-metre fall through park railing in Ladysmith, B.C.

A Crofton, B.C., family is thanking the community for its support after their youngest child fell about six metres through a railing at a park over the weekend, fracturing her skull and dislocating her shoulder, among other injuries.

David Taylor said he took his four kids to Ladysmith’s Transfer Beach Park on Saturday afternoon. First they played, then he says they chose a spot for a picnic near a bench with a lookout above a kayak rental shed.

Taylor said he looked down for a moment to place a bag near a bench when his youngest somehow slipped through a railing, falling onto a concrete pad below.

"I ran to the fence and I looked down and I saw her laying there," he said through tears and with a hand covering his face. "It was a split second I re-live over and over again."

Three-year-old Sophia was flown to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where she remains today.

The family isn’t sure how long they'll be there or what her recovery looks like yet. But, Sophia’s parents are celebrating some progress four days after the fall. Sophia sat up for the first time this morning, opened her eyes later, and finally spoke.

"She said, 'Daddy,' and she said, 'All done.' She giggled," said Sophia’s mom, Selina.

They say she’s also been able to recognize her parents for the first time since the fall.

"It’s been astounding actually," said Taylor.

A crowdfunding page is raising money to support Sophia’s recovery – raising thousands in just 24 hours.

"We, as a family, want to thank everybody for their support and their kindness," Taylor said.

The parents say they’ve been told by doctors to prepare for the worst but hope for the best. They say the financial support will help them travel between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland while Sophia receives hospital care in Vancouver.

They’re also anticipating a long rehabilitative path that could include speech therapy and physiotherapy. The family's unsure if they’ll need to make changes to their home or invest in a new vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair during her recovery.

The Taylor family doesn’t want to blame the Town of Ladysmith for what happened.

They say their focus from the outset of going public with their story is to bring awareness to this type of situation – and they encourage anyone who spots a safety concern to reach out to any corresponding municipality to put it on the radar.

"It’s just such a terrible accident," said Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone.

He’s been in contact with the family since learning about Sophia’s fall and says his priority is to support them right now.

That said, the area where the toddler fell has been cordoned off with temporary fencing, though the mayor says the fence was built to code in 2005.

"I think it’s just really important right now that we keep the focus on the family and in the meantime our staff and engineering team will come up with long-term solutions to prevent a horrible accident like this from happening again," he said.