Jennifer's Story

Jennifer’s freak horse riding accident near Huntly resulted in a 12-hour operation to try and put her face ‘back together’.

“I was told my top jaw, eye socket, and cheekbones were broken, and I had a fracture in my neck,” she recalls. “My whole face was dramatically swollen, but one of the main concerns was my right eye which was swollen shut and there was worry about the pressure on the optic nerve.”

Jennifer, 31, was helping her friend break in a young horse on her farm when her accident occurred. When heading home, the horse jolted to a sudden stop, throwing Jennifer forward, before he spun and began galloping away.

“I fell to the side and mistakenly held onto the reins…I should have just let go,” she reflects.

“I started to get dragged and was caught in the face with his back hoof. I wasn’t aware of what had actually hit me, but my face took the extent of the force.”

Jennifer’s friend Helen was horrified to witness the event unfold and she knew her friend’s injury was serious.

A land ambulance soon arrived shortly before Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance landed close to the scene.

Helimed 79 was able to deliver an Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) doctor-led team to attend to Jennifer. Effectively bringing a multi-professional healthcare team to ensure she received the most effective pre-hospital care available.

“Basically, my face had been pushed back into my head,” says Jennifer. “I knew I had broken my jaw because I could feel it loose and moving about. But I didn’t realise what I had done to the rest of my face.”

She was assessed for injuries, given pain relief, and stabilised before being transported by land ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI). Due to the possibility of brain damage, and the uncertainty of whether her condition would deteriorate, the EMRS professionals travelled with Jennifer, constantly monitoring her.

“Having a doctor-led team there, especially as they weren’t sure if there was any severe brain damage, provided an extra level of reassurance for me,” she admits.

“I’m so thankful to everyone on the day for helping me.”

Jennifer subsequently spent nine nights in ARI, with the first night in high dependency and another night in intensive care following her 12-hour operation.

She was cut ‘ear to ear’ to receive the necessary facial reconstruction work by surgeons.

“I’m now made of metal from my top jaw upwards,” she adds. “My eyes are now very sunken in my head but I’m very lucky that I didn’t have any permanent damage to my eyes.

“The only permanent damage was my sense of smell, and I have very poor taste. Other than the change in my appearance I don’t have any other serious injuries.”

Jennifer, who recently gave birth to her son Glen, is grateful for the care she received after her equestrian injury.

She says: “Thanks to SCAA and the land ambulance crew I was lucky I got the attention I needed on the day.

“I am forever grateful for SCAA’s help and support and the care delivered between my accident and arriving at hospital. The crew were all so reassuring and calming - if felt like a real, vital lifeline.”