Wakefield girl who broke 15 bones in zorb accident fundraises to help others

An eight-year-old girl who broke 15 bones in her skull in a zorbing accident is fundraising for the charity that helped support her family.

Lily-Mae West was on holiday when a zorb ball bumped into her, knocking her face-first to the concrete ground.

She suffered a brain injury as well as breaks to her eye sockets and the roof of her mouth.

The youngster said she wanted to give back to those who had cared for her at Leeds General Infirmary.

Mum Katie West recalled the moment the accident happened while they were on a family holiday in North Yorkshire in February.

"A zorb ball bumped into her, knocking her face-first to the ground. Her tiny seven-year-old skull hit the rock-hard floor. It happened so fast."

Mrs West described how when Lily-Mae was in hospital she was "frightened and scared".

She added: "Tears running down her face. It was awful. As a parent you never imagine anything like this happening.

"She stayed in hospital for a week. Badly bruised, with panda eyes, and some fluid had leaked from the brain. Her brain injury isn't severe, but we've noticed her behaviours have changed. She gets upset and isn't as confident as she used to be."

Lily-Mae, a pupil at Outwood Primary Academy in Wakefield, is now raising money for the hospital and Day One Trauma Support - a charity set up at LGI to help patients and families after major trauma.

Marianne Wadsworth, from the charity, helped the family by providing emotional support, financial and legal advice and counselling for Katie and Lily-Mae's 11-year-old brother Elliott.

The youngster, who has already raised hundreds of pounds, will be running a lemonade stand and selling buns outside her grandmother's house in Stanley on Friday.

Lily-Mae said: "I felt upset when I was in hospital as it was scary.

"When I couldn't see, my dad read me books on the hospital ward which made me happy. That's why I want to do something to help other children and Day One which was there for my mum and dad."

Mrs West said Day One had supported her "little girl" and the whole family.

"I had to leave my old job to spend more time looking after Lily-Mae. Day One gave me financial advice about grants and benefits to help take the pressure off.

"We couldn't have done it on our own."

The 32-year-old said they were "so proud" of their daughter who had come up with the idea to fundraise.

"She wanted to do something to say thank you for all the incredible care and support we got as a family. It's helped her recovery too, to have something to focus on and talk about what happened, but it in a positive way."

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