A 15-year-old girl is fighting for her life in intensive care after falling from a balcony in Majorca on the second day of her first-ever family holiday abroad.
The teen – described by pals as a “brilliant horserider” – has been put into an induced coma after suffering head injuries in the tragedy in S’illot on the east of the island.
AlamyS’illot Beach in Majorca, Spain[/caption]
The Sun understands she was trying to climb from one balcony to another when she fell headfirst from the first floor of her hotel.
An ambulance was given a blue light police escort to hospital “given the gravity” of her injuries.
A candlelit vigil and prayer was held on Sunday evening in her home village in Hampshire.
Today sources at Son Espases Hospital in the capital Palma said she remains in intensive care as a police investigation into the incident continues.
A well-placed source said: “She was trying to cross from one balcony to another for reasons that are still unclear when she fell.
“She was revived at her holiday complex by emergency responders who worked for nearly half an hour at the scene to save her life.
“A code red was then activated because of the severity of her injuries which involved a police car escorting the ambulance she was in so it could get her to hospital through traffic as soon as possible.”
Family friend Erica Arnold said she “is still in critical condition in intensive care but the good news is that doctors have removed her breathing tube and she is breathing on her own.
“She is such a lovely girl, everyone who knows her loves her. If anyone can fight and get through this it is [her].”
She added that the teen was on holiday with her three siblings and parents when the accident happened.
Erica said: “They had one great day of their holiday and the next day the accident happened.”
She said that because the teen’s parents had not holidayed abroad before they did not realise they needed travel insurance and are now facing medical bills in the tens of thousands to pay for her hospital treatment.
A JustGiving page has been set up to help them pay the bills and to transfer her back to the UK.
She was described as “always smiling and fun” before the accident and is said to be a “brilliant horse rider.”
Yesterday nearly £7,000 of a £20,000 target had been raised for the youngster who was taken to Son Espases in Palma after emergency services were called to S’Illot at around 9.30pm last Tuesday.
Erica wrote on the page: “This family went on their first-ever holiday abroad with their four children for a week last Monday.
“On Tuesday, tragedy struck when their oldest child, a fifteen-year-old girl, fell off the hotel balcony.
“She sustained severe head and other injuries and after being stabilised, was taken by ambulance to Son Espases Hospital, Palma, where she is expected to remain for eight weeks until she is well enough to be flown back to the U.K.
“At present, she is critical, on life support and in an induced coma.
“She has had two brain surgeries and will need two more, spinal surgery and other surgery.
“Once back in the U.K, she will need further medical intervention.”
Villagers where she lives have rallied round to help the family including arranging fund raising events and a prayer vigil at the local church.
There were signs yesterday that she was responding to treatment with Erica reporting: “The family are overcome and thankful for the high level of support and the lovely messages they have received, and they feel it has given them added strength to cope at this very traumatic time.
“She is moving forward in little steps, just as the hospital would hope and expect, but has a long journey ahead to full recovery.
“The hospital, Son Espases in Palma, has been amazing and has an outstanding Neurological Unit that is used to dealing with traumatic head injuries similar to hers, so she is in the best possible place, receiving exceptional care.”
She revealed that the teen’s parents were looking for accommodation near to the hospital and said they were struggling with the language barrier with medical staff treating their daughter.
She said: “As you can imagine, this is somewhere the family has never travelled to before; everything is new and confusing, and there is tremendous worry about their daughter.
“The language barrier makes the simplest of things difficult, especially as all their time and thoughts are currently with their daughter.
“They also have limited finances. This was their first family holiday abroad; they saved a long time.
“However, they don’t have any additional funds, and they were only supposed to be away for one week.
“Unfortunately, the family did not take out any holiday insurance due to being new to foreign travel.
“This young lady is loved by so many; she’s always smiling and fun and is a brilliant horse rider with her whole life ahead of her.”
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