Her daughter is home from the hospital after being hit by a Grand River Transit bus at a roundabout a week ago, and now Gail Lam is speaking out about the family's pain for the first time.

"She's a strong-hearted child so if anybody can get through this it will be Cassi, it really will be," she says.

Sixteen-year-old Cassi Lam was seriously injured when she was struck at the busy roundabout at Homer Watson Boulevard and Block Line Road in Kitchener last Friday morning.

Gail says "The last point that she does remember is looking at the bus driver and putting her hand up when she realized he wasn't going to stop and at that point she says everything just went black."

The Grade 11 student at St. Mary's High School was on her way to class when the accident happened.

Cassi, an active student who spends her spare time dancing, acting, modelling and volunteering in the community, now faces a long recovery.

She suffered a broken leg and serious trauma to her head and body where they hit the bus, damaging the vehicle.

"There's gashes on her body, stuff that can be fixed with stitching and healing and praying, but the severe stuff that we worry about is the head trauma, also her neck, her back and her hip."

Gail says Cassi is glad of the support she's receiving from family and friends, but the family takes exception to those who claim the roundabout is safe.

"These kinds of comments of telling the public it's safe and that, 'Oh, it's not their fault,' you can't do that, and you can't do that to a child. She's just turned 16, she's just begun her life and it's so hurtful."

Grand River Transit has launched an investigation into the collision. The driver involved in the incident is not driving at this point, awaiting the results of a police investigation.

Police say no charges have been laid.

In a strange twist, the region will be shutting down the roads in the area on Sunday to produce a video about roundabout safety.

And on Monday, students at St. Mary's High School have planned a protest to bring attention to what they say are the dangers of mixing pedestrians and motorists at a roundabout.