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OUCH! Annabel Browne’s dream skiing holidayavalanched into calamity after a tumble on the slopes left the daredevilyoungster with both arms in casts.
The plucky 13-year-old St Christopher’spupil was determined to ensure the unlucky breaks didn’t spoil her vacation andjoined her fellow pupils up the Swiss mountainside each day for lunch.
Annabel, from Saar, had gone skiing on asimilar school trip during her time in year six and only returned as a yeareight student to rekindle memories with her friends one last time beforerelocating to Qatar with her family.
“It was such a shame, I was having a greattime,” she said.
There had been a small avalanche a coupleof days prior to the accident and the fallen snow had turned very icy makingthe slopes bumpy. Annabel was the penultimate skier in her group and wastravelling at quite a speed when she hit a bump, fell and rolled several times.
“I thought my hands hurt when the skiinstructor and my friends stopped to help me,” she added. “I sat for a fewminutes in shock but got back onto my feet and skied down a further two slopes,albeit rather slowly!”
She was taken to hospital as a precautionwith the party hoping she had simply sprained her wrists. But x-rays revealedthe worst, indicating that she had broken her left arm and fractured her right.According to teachers, Annabel did not cry or complain once.
Teacher Nick Wilson said: “Unable to ski fromthat point, Annabel decided that she wanted to stay on the trip. She would meetthe rest of the St Chris party for lunch and attended all the eveningactivities.
“She was great company for the remainder ofthe trip and was fantastic as she did not complain once, displaying greatbravery. Annabel was a delight and we all wish her a speedy recovery.”
Teaching staff and Annabel phoned herparents shortly after the hospital visit. Mum Martina, 43, a former teachingassistant at St Christopher’s and dad, Nick, 44, a chartered engineer for URSScott Wilson, had taken her brother William, nine, to Abu Dhabi for a few daysas part of his birthday celebrations.
Martina said: “We had only been there twodays when at about 6pm, our time, the phone call came to inform us that Annabelhad broken both her arms.
“I offered to fly to Zurich to get her butshe flatly refused stating that she was enjoying herself and there was a lotmore to skiing holidays than just skiing! What a soldier!
“Instead of going back to the hotel, shedecided to join the rest of the group for an evening of entertainment at an icehockey game.”
When Annabel arrived in Bahrain she wastaken to Bahrain Specialist Hospital for further x-rays and re-casts. Martinaadded: “They explained that her left arm was indeed broken, but her right notquite fractured but buckled almost like pressing a ruler from both ends.
“She has to keep her cast on her left armfor four more weeks and the brace on her right arm had to be on for one weekand a further two weeks on and off to try to strengthen the arm.”
