Mother of Australian National University stabbing victim Ilysha Perry says she thought she would lose her youngest daughter

The mother of a young woman who remains in intensive care after being stabbed at the Australian National University in Canberra has recalled the anguish of not knowing whether she would make it to her daughter's hospital bed in time. Key points: Ilysha Perry is in a serious but stable condition after she was stabbed at the ANU last week Her mother Fiona Coffey has described the devastation of fearing she would lose her daughter Alex Ophel, 24, is charged with attempted murder over the incident Batemans Bay mother of six Fiona Coffey had enjoyed a weekend in Canberra with her youngest child, 20-year-old Ilysha Perry, who is a second-year Bachelor of Arts student at the ANU. "I got the call that Ilysha had been stabbed and that I had to get straight away and they weren't sure that I would get there in time because I live two hours away," Ms Coffey said. Ms Coffey said she was overcome with "shock and disbelief" when she was driving back to Canberra with one thought running through her mind: "Not my precious baby." Ms Coffey arrived in time to see her youngest and said she "felt pretty lucky that Ilysha had hung on that long to see me … and that she was still with us."