Experience: A riding accident broke my jaw | Horses

The wind blew past my face. I clung to the reins of the galloping horse. I could see a goal post in front of me. But before I knew it, I felt my teeth clash.

It was the summer of 2019, when I was 15, in the Lake District for my boyfriend’s father’s 50th birthday. It was a beautiful sunny day. The party took place in a country house. There was a bouncy castle in the garden and the screams of children filled the air. My friend and I enjoyed riding in a paddock.

We put on our helmets and mounted our horses, but my friend was nervous because his horse was acting strangely. In a brave moment, I swapped with them.

Then we went down a path, but my friend got uncomfortable again so we turned back. Then my horse got frightened and stormed off while I was still sitting on it. Like it As I galloped onto the main street I felt helpless; All I could do was hold on for dear life.

The horse dashed around the corner. Then I saw the goal post. I tried to let go but crashed straight into it.

I landed on the floor. I couldn’t feel anything under my nose. My first thought was that my tongue had been ripped out. The horse ran away. I stood up and grabbed my face, which seemed to be crumbling in my hands. Miraculously, I followed the sounds of the bouncy castle until I arrived back at the house.

I heard a gasp when people saw me. One guest was a nurse. I was given a tea towel for my face. I looked down and saw teeth and bones in the towel. “Is that my jaw?” I managed to ask. “Yes,” she replied. A first responder came, took one look at me and whispered, “There’s nothing I can do about this.”

I was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where there was a surgeon, Ricardo Mohammed-Ali, who specialized in facial trauma. It was too much of a risk to take me there in an air ambulance as the hospital didn’t have a helipad, so I was flown in an ambulance. “Please just tell my mom,” was all I could say since my parents were home and didn’t know what had happened.

“You don’t do things by halves, do you?” my father joked when they arrived. They tried to be brave. Mom told me later that she was having a panic attack in the hallway when Ricardo, the surgeon, arrived.

Ricardo explained that he had a plan A, B and C to fix me and if they didn’t work he would go through to Z. I had over 200 stitches on the inside and outside of my face. I have three titanium plates that connect everything together. Ricardo later described my accident as one of the worst facial injuries outside of a war zone, as I was only 2cm away from a nerve rupture in my brain that could have killed me.

When I woke up, I couldn’t speak because my face was covered in bandages. I was fed through the nose. It took two weeks before I could speak again.

After 10 days I was allowed to go home. It was difficult getting used to my new look. People would stare. I told myself that they were staring at me because of my great outfit. It taught me to see the world more positively.

I lost all feeling between my bottom lip and my chin as the nerves never recovered. This can be tricky: When I eat hot food, I often burn myself. I ask people to warn me if I put food in my mouth. Sometimes I come home after a long day and still have baked beans on my chin from breakfast!

I never rode a horse again – I was never a regular rider – but I wouldn’t mind and I don’t carry any hate with me. It was an accident.

It took me three years to learn to smile again, and I taught myself to be proud of my scars. I’m in my second year of university, studying English and Linguistics and hoping to become a speech therapist. I have I also used my experience to raise £2,000 for a helipad for Sheffield Children’s Hospital. that they have now built.

At 15, I faced a terrible challenge that I’m still trying to overcome, but it taught me to never take anything for granted. Life can change in an instant. But it also showed me that good people always surround you when you need them most. I am so grateful to Ricardo, the nurses and the ambulance team for the kindness they showed me.

As told to Elizabeth McCafferty

Do you have an experience you would like to share? Email [email protected]