THE IRISH family injured in the Barcelona terror attack were visited by the Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at their bedside in hospital in Spain.
The Potot family, a naturalised Filipino-Irish family from Dublin, were injured in the attack last week, August 17, when a van rammed the popular tourist area of Las Ramblas.
Norman and Pederlita Potot, and their children Nathaniel and Nailah Pearl, were caught up in the attack which killed 13 people and injured dozens last Thursday.
On Saturday, August 19, the Irish family were amongst the injured visited by the King and Queen of Spain at the Hospital del la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona.
Mr Potot has said his family are 'traumatised' (Picture: Casa de S.M. el Rey de Espana via Getty Images)Mr Potot suffered a punctured kidney, while his son Nathaniel had a broken femur.
Mr Potot's daughter Nailah Pearl fractured her arm, while mother Pederlita escaped with minor injuries.
Speaking to The Irish Independent, Mr Potot described what the family experienced last Thursday.
Nailah Pearl Potot suffered a fractured arm after she was injured by people trying to flee the scene (Picture: Casa de S.M. el Rey de Espana via Getty Images)“We were on Las Ramblas Raval, the main road, while looking for presents." he said.
“There were hundreds of people around when suddenly a white van came running through us.
“The van hit me in my rib cage, I never heard any screaming, I only saw the white van coming through us very fast, hitting the little shop and me.
“It was scary. I don’t know what happen next because I was unconscious.”
Norman Potot is greeted by Queen Letizia (Picture: Casa de S.M. el Rey de Espana via Getty Images)Mr Potot also said that while his young family – who were in Barcelona to celebrate their young son's fifth birthday – was not hit by the van, they were injured in the stampede of people trying to flee the scene.
“The commotions of the people got them, especially my son," he said. "I think someone stood on his legs when he fell down.
“My wife and daughter were OK, they’ve got loads of bruises around their body.”
Mr Potot also described what he saw when he regained consciousness.
Queen Leitizia speaks to Nathaniel Potot, who suffered a fractured femur in the attack (Picture: Casa de S.M. el Rey de Espana via Getty Images)“I could see policemen and people running and screaming, everyone was covered in blood, including me."
However, due to the threat of more attacks, Mr Potot added that the family were not immediately able to receive medical treatment.
“The policemen told us to hide in the basement of the restaurant because there might be gunmen or something," said Mr Potot. "They told us they would call an ambulance when the coast was clear.
“We’re OK, my son is in a recovery room, he just finished his operation due to a fractured leg.
“I’m under observation for 48 hours due to my kidney. They found blood inside it, perhaps from the impact of van that hit me in the left side of my rib cage.
“My kids are traumatised, all of us are traumatised."
While the family are awaiting the results of a scan on Mr Potot's kidney, Mrs Potot told RTÉ that they are expecting to leave hospital today.
