Lily Nichol was on holiday with her family in Oludeniz, Turkey, when she was struck by a paraglider. It was the final day of their vacation and they were originally scheduled to fly home later that night.
The 15-year-old teen from Durham, England, was eating pizza at a restaurant with her family when a paraglider came ‘out of nowhere’, said her mother, Lydnsey Logan.
The next thing they knew, the teen was lying on the floor, unconscious.
Her mother immediately began toscream for help, thinking that she had died.
While Lily survived the incident, the collision with the paraglider left her in serious condition and she will require multiple surgeries, which could cost the family upwards of £45,000.
Her injuries include a broken jaw, four broken vertebrae, and a split tongue. Her eyes and teeth were also severely injured during the collision.
Doctors initially believed she also suffered a brain bleed, but subsequent scans showed that she did not have any severe head injuries.
Still, the ordeal is far from over for the family. Due to the breaks in her spine, Lily will need surgery on her back, which is currently scheduled for Monday. Several of her teeth will also need to be replaced as the collision has left them ‘wobbly’.
Unfortunately, however, her mother did not purchase travel insurance. This means the family has to pay out of pocket for her medical care in Turkey. So far, her treatments, including stitches on her tongue, chin, and eye, have already cost over £7,200, which her father paid.
Even with medical care, however, the teen is in ‘absolutely agony’ and cannot move physically, according to her mother.
Her upcoming spine and jaw surgery, however, will cost another £45,000 – money that the family does not have.
While the hospital will proceed with the surgery as long as the family pays a deposit, they will need to come up with the rest before she is able to be discharged from the hospital.
Desperate to help their daughter, her family has set up an online fundraiser to try to cover her medical costs. With the help of many supporters, they have already raised over £34,000, which is more than half of their goal.
According to her mother, Lily doesn’t remember anything about the incident. In fact, she just thought she was having a bad dream.
Lily’s older sister, 19-year-old Megan, was also hit by the paraglider but fortunately was not seriously injured and was only knocked unconscious. She quickly came around as soon as she heard her mother’s yells for help.
Since the incident, the family has been in contact with the British Embassy in the country.
Her mother, who works as a cleaner, is also traumatized and has not slept since the accident.
