Remember this accident

This skating incident will change skating in the UK forever.

WEDNESDAY 21st November 2001

The Interview (we have removed the skaters' name)

FNS: Hi, how are you feeling?
Skater: Much better thanks

Do you have any problems at all?
Well I still have a permanent headache. Oh, and a really bad hairstyle.

Yes, I can see that. How was the quality of treatment you received in hospital?
Everyone has been excellent. A week or two ago, when I was in a really bad way, I learnt the meaning of the phrase, 'intensive care'. There were more nurses than patients, all of them very professional. So much for the NHS going down the tubes! But there were a few cases where specialists were upset that my injuries were as a result of not wearing a helmet. Some (visiting) medics were almost angry about it! I guess they have seen so many with my type of injury over the years.

How have your family been coping?
Initially it was a massive shock and obviously some have taken it much better than others. I recently learnt that my doctor did not think I would make it. This shocks me more than the accident itself because I just thought I had a bump on my head! My family seem to be getting more sleep now that I am recovering. But my mum has forbidden me to ever skate again. Which I will ignore!

What's the first thing you're going to do when you get out of hospital?
Buy some new skates!
[Coughs politely]
Perhaps buy some faster skates!
[Coughs loudly]
Skate on the FNS!
[Starts choking. Nurses run to assist but we politely usher them away]
BUY A HELMET!!!
[Throat miraculously clears]

Phew, that's better! What do you remember about the day?
The last thing I remember was checking the website and seeing a 'Go!' next to the weather update. And then waking up in hospital

Scary, you are missing about 3-4 hours before your accident. Do you remember me lending you £200?
[Puts on a stern expression]

Hmm, a couple more days in hospital and perhaps it will come back to you. By the way, when you fell down it was right next to the Angus Steak House. All the tourists were watching and stopped chewing their delicious steaks.
Oh, God!

Did you know that last Friday we took exactly the same route on the FNS that we did when you fell and cracked your skull?
Really!?! Oh, don't say 'cracked' it sounds awful.

But you did crack your skull. Anyway, we even went down Haymarket. The objective was to clear people's heads about what happened. I have to say it was a rather poignant moment.
I bet. Anyone fall over?

No. We warned people to control their speed with the use of a super-sized megaphone. This will now be a permanent fixture on the skate. And you will be interested to hear that the week you had your accident under 5% of people were wearing a helmet. Last week that shot up to about 60%!
[Touched, but in a nice way] That's great! I must say what great reporting you have done on the whole incident. My family brought me printouts of the emails and I think the way the situation was handled has been excellent. Well done!

Thanks. We did have some difficulty finding your family. But an email you sent us two weeks prior to your head-cracking incident…
Stop it!

… this email said 'Please put the distance of each FNS on the map' and mentioned something about 'bragging rights on Monday morning'. Sound like something you would write?
I remember that!

Luckily the email had the web address of the fireworks company you work for and this set the ball rolling. Then we thought, interesting, as your accident was on the 2nd of November, what an ingenious way to avoid Guy Fawkes Night, the busiest time of the year for your employers!
If only.

And so lastly, to a question on all our minds in the last few weeks. Will you skate the FNS again?
Yes, definately.

And will you learn from your lesson and keep family, friends and visiting medics happy by wearing a helmet?
You betcha!!!

As we leave the hospital bed, and despite requests not to, we cannot resist but to snap a few pictures of the amazing hairdo.
Listen skater girl, these pictures will be printed if we see you skating without a helmet. Hope you enjoyed reading the printout!

WEDNESDAY 7th November 2001

Skater's mother:

My daughter has been moved out of intensive care and into one of the wards. This really is great news for all of us. The doctors have again stated that a full recovery is on the cards and that there will be no permanent damage. I cannot say how relieved we all are. We are now letting nature take it's course.

Our family would like to thank all of you for your support and for all the get well cards. I'm sure receiving such small things as cards have helped the healing process.

So far cards from as far as New York have been sent!

TUESDAY 6th November 2001

Skaters sister:

I cannot describe the horror of seeing someone you love in intensive care. When I first got to the hospital after my sisters's accident she looked far far worse than I could have imagined. She had a ventilator tube in one side of her mouth and a feeding tube in the other, she had on a neck support collar and a probe bolted into her head to measure the pressure in her skull. When her head hit the ground her brain had rushed forward and impacted the front of her head with enough force to give her two black eyes. Her skull was fractured and blood from inside her head was leaking from her ear and her nose.

As with all head injuries, the doctors were (and are) very non-comittal about her chances. After an impact the brain bruises and swells, all you can do is wait and hope that the swelling goes down without leaving any lasting damage. So far she seems to be doing well and yesterday said the first words that sounded like my sister again.

My sister is passionate about skating and I hope that in time she will be able to skate again - but this time she will be wearing a safety helmet. The doctors have confirmed that had she been wearing a helmet her injuries would not have been nearly so severe. As a skater myself I will not be going out again without one - I think many of the people who were there at the time of the accident feel the same way. As with most sports, there is always an element of risk to skating, but you can minimise risks by protecting yourself with the right safety gear. Most of us have had bumped knees and cut elbows before, but I had no idea of the damage that you can do to your head with an unlucky fall.

Please don't let this happen to you.

I wouldn't want another family to spend a weekend sitting in intensive care not knowing whether or not their child was going to make it. On a more positive note, I would like to thank those people who were with my sister at the time of the accident, who looked after her and who helped the police track down our contact numbers. As she starts to become more alert over the next week I know she will welcome vistors and thanks go to those who have already been in to see her. It helps her a great deal to know she has friends that care about her. Please, lets all learn from this.

MONDAY 5th November 2001

At about 8:15pm on 2nd November 2001 the FNS was passing through Haymarket, next to Piccadilly Circus. A female skater, who has been skating for ELEVEN years, somehow lost her balance and fell, her head hit the ground first. She was not wearing a helmet. FNS marshals stopped the skate and an ambulance arrived, taking her to St Thomas’ hospital, London Bridge.

The skater received serious injuries: a fractured skull and bruising of the brain. She was later transferred to The National Hospital for Neurology. As with most head injuries her present condition is serious. But although the skater is still in intensive care she is at the better end of the spectrum and in good spirits, even attempting to pull some of the pipes in her mouth! She knows where she is, recognises those around her and can move her joints. This is the best news!

Skater's mother:

“My daughter is very passionate about skating the FNS. This whole incident has deeply shocked our family and we are very keen to help ensure this doesn’t happen again. The manner in which the situation was handled, from skaters on Friday to the nurses on my daughter's ward ward was brilliant but from the reports we have received from medical experts wearing a helmet could have greatly reduced my daughter's injuries. Please, for your own benefit and for the sake of your family and friends, always wear head protection when skating. Remember my daughter.”

The skater's family would be overjoyed if well-wishers sent her a get well card (note the unusual spelling of her name):

<the skater has now been moved out of hospital and is skating again>.

The FNS on 9th November was cancelled to give everyone involved a well-earned break. The next skate will be on Friday 16th November 2001 where everyone will return with a renewed outlook, full protective gear and a helmet. WE WILL MAKE SURE NOBODY FORGETS THIS INCIDENT.

If you don’t have a helmet check out the skate retailers list

Best wishes for a speedy recovery we will keep you updated.