Warning: contains distressing images.
Fifteen-year-old Emily Eccles is back skiing just three and a half months since she suffered the “worst injury seen outside of a warzone” according to her surgeon Dr Ricardo Mohammed-Ali.
Emily at Snozone ski centre, Castleford.
Emily has been slalom skiing twice a week for three years at Snozone ski centre in Castleford. She said: “I’ve been nagging Dr Mohammed-Ali to let me return to the slopes. I’m so happy I got his approval.”
Mum Michelle said the surgeon was really happy with the progress that Emily was making and had given her the approval to return to easy runs and then ski as normal after the Christmas break.
Emily attended Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity Winter Ball on the 30th November to pay her respects and raise money for the hospital that saved her life.
She took part in a live Q&A with Dan Walker of BBC Breakfast, who is a patron of The Children's Hospital Charity.
Looking back on the incident, Emily said: “I’m almost glad it happened. A lot of good has come out of it. It’s like reverse karma, bad things happen before good things. If it hadn’t of happened, there wouldn't be as much money raised for the Helipad appeal. I wouldn’t have the same outlook on how to deal with things. Every minor inconvenience now really isn't a big deal.”
Michelle explained: “It’s the Helipad appeal that’s most pertinent to Emily’s story that we want to help raise the profile of."The Eccles family have raised £3,823 of a £6m Helipad appeal target.
Daniel Robinson, Marketing and Communications Assistant of the charity, said: “The value of the family’s contribution will be so much more, particularly when the public are thinking of which causes to support this Christmas as Emily's miraculous story is such a memorable one.”
Emily and her family are also working with the hospital's Communications Officer, Rosie Soberiaj, to nominate Dr Mohammed-Ali for a knighthood.
Michelle said: “Emily wrote to the Queen and now we have the official papers from cabinet. Rosie is going to help us get two letters of support from his colleagues to get the knighthood approved."
Rosie said: “All of the staff at the hospital have said that Dr Mohammed-Ali really deserves it. All of his colleagues are singing his praises."
Emily couldn’t speak for two weeks after she underwent facial reconstructive surgery at Sheffield Children's Hospital. She was rushed to hospital after her chin and jawbone were left attached to her face by 1cm of skin when she fell off a friend's horse and hit her jaw on a wooden gate in Derbyshire.
Emily's jaw before surgery.
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