A young British woman who was given only a five per cent chance of survival after a horrific skiing accident has surprised doctors by making a “miraculous” recovery – and has vowed to return to the slopes as soon as she is physically fit. trained.
Olivia Corbiere, 23, suffered a brain hemorrhage, lung damage, a broken pelvis and nose, and three fractured vertebrae when she fell 15 feet into a ravine in Bansko, Bulgaria, in March.
Doctors who first treated the kitchen designer told her mother Linzi, 46, that she had little chance of surviving and might never speak again if she did.
Olivia was placed in a medically induced coma, often done to limit brain damage, but shortly before she was able to say the words “I love you” to her boyfriend Ben Smith, 24, who flew to be at her bedside.
Olivia was later flown to Britain for specialist treatment and defied the odds, recovering enough to return home after six weeks.
Olivia Corbiere, 23, right, suffered a brain hemorrhage, lung damage, a fractured pelvis and nose, and three fractured vertebrae when she fell 15 feet into a ravine in Bansko, Bulgaria, in March.
The doctors who first treated Olivia said she had a limited chance of surviving and might never speak again if she did.
Olivia surprised doctors by making a “miraculous” recovery and has vowed to return to the slopes as soon as she is physically able.
He still has some hearing loss and nerve damage on the right side of his face, which affects the movement of his eyelids, as well as an injury to the back of his head.
But Linzi said: “It feels absolutely like a miracle.”
‘Don’t get me wrong, the Bulgarian neurosurgeon saved Olivia’s life, but the care in England is second to none. They have constantly monitored her.
“They told us he had a five percent chance of living and might not talk, but he’s done all that, proven them wrong and is getting stronger every day.”
“Now she can laugh and joke about herself and stuff like that, that’s really good.” We are absolutely delighted.’
Olivia thanked her sister Phoebe Corbiere, 19, and five close friends who were with her when she had the accident, saying their quick and selfless actions saved her life.
Speaking from her home in Aston, near Rotherham, South Yorks, Olivia said: ‘The actions of my sister and my friends that day are the reason I am here.
‘Three of them jumped into the ravine and helped me out, and then the others called the emergency services.
“They didn’t even think for a second about not jumping and they could have gotten hurt.” They are incredible. They are fabulous, they are incredible.
“When I was in the hospital I thanked them for doing what they did because they saved my life.”
Olivia had gone on the five-day spring ski trip with her sister and friends Laura Howe, 23, Charlotte Howe, 20, Georgia Cooke, 23, Ellise Cowley, 23, and Anastasia Griffith, 23.
Olivia’s friends called an ambulance and rushed her to a hospital where shocked doctors said they had “never seen” a head injury as serious as hers.
Olivia (left) with her sister Phoebe at Northern General Hospital 2 days after returning to England on April 4.
And on March 17 he had climbed early to the top of the mountain range, in western Bulgaria, to make the most of his time on the slopes.
But after lunch, while heading down a ski slope, he fell down a ravine while walking in “slushy” snow.
Olivia said: ‘We met up around 10am and were chatting about where we were going to eat. That was one of the last things I remember before my accident.
‘My right ski crossed over my left ski and that made me lose control. Then I entered the ravine.
Phoebe (left) with her sister Olivia Corbiere on holiday in Bansko. When she was brought back to the UK, doctors warned her family to prepare for a long recovery lasting several months or perhaps years.
Olivia, center, had gone on the five-day spring ski trip with her sister and friends Laura Howe, 23, left, Charlotte Howe, 20, Georgia Cooke, 23, Ellise Cowley, 23, and Anastasia Griffith , 23, right.
“Because there’s such a big drop, and because it was warmer and it had melted, I couldn’t get out of there like I normally would.”
Olivia’s friends called an ambulance and rushed her to a hospital, where shocked doctors said they had “never seen” a head injury as severe as hers.
He later underwent a four-hour emergency surgery in which specialists removed part of his skull to reduce a life-threatening brain hemorrhage.
Olivia was also found to have suffered three fractured vertebrae, a broken pelvis, a broken eye socket and a broken nose in the fall.
Linzi immediately flew to Bulgaria to be at her daughter’s bedside before she fell into a medically induced coma.
When she was brought back to the UK on April 1, doctors warned Linzi to prepare for a long recovery lasting several months or perhaps years.
But Olivia, who has no memory of the five weeks after her accident, began to improve once she was able to learn what had happened to her.
Olivia managed to utter the words “I love you” to her boyfriend, Ben Smith, 24, who also flew to be with her in her time of need.
She said: ‘When I moved from the intensive care ward to the neurology ward, about three or four days later, my memory started to return.
“For some reason I thought I had been in a car accident, or there were different stories that made sense to me and I don’t remember why I was in the hospital.”
Olivia finally returned home four weeks ago and has since enjoyed meals with her relieved family.
But she was stunned when she learned how many people from around the world had offered their condolences after learning of her accident.
He added: “My mum spent a bit of time going through it all and it was just fantastic.”
‘There are so many good people in the world. I couldn’t be more grateful.’
Olivia also said she hoped to get back on the ski slopes as soon as she could despite suffering her traumatic injuries.
Olivia finally returned home four weeks ago and has since enjoyed meals with her relieved family.
She said: “It was just an accident, it had nothing to do with my skiing.”
‘I’ve been skiing for years. I love it and I shouldn’t let something that was a complete accident discourage me from something I enjoy doing.
“So when I’m completely better and well, I’d love to try it again.”
Olivia’s family has created a crowdfunding to help cover the costs of your recovery.