Wakefield schoolgirl who broke 15 bones in skull after freak zorbing accident raises money for charity who supported her family

Lily-Mae West and her family from Stanley, Wakefield, had been taking part in Football Zorbing on a family holiday in North Yorkshire in February 2023, when she felt claustrophobic and removed herself from the activity. 

While she played at the side of the activity area, she was knocked over in a freak accident, hitting her head on a “rock hard floor”, and sustained a brain injury and broke 15 bones in her skull. 

Lily-Mae, who was seven at the time, was taken to Scarborough Hospital, where doctors initially treated her before sending her to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) Major Trauma Centre, where specialist NHS staff provided her with the care she needed. 

After a night in the Children's Critical Care Unit, Lily-Mae was cared for at Leeds Children’s Hospital, where she made a remarkable recovery. 

While on the ward, parents Katie and Matthew West were supported by Day One Trauma  Support – a charity set up at LGI to help patients and families after major trauma with practical, emotional and  financial support. 

After her recovery, Lily-Mae, now aged eight, wanted to give back to those who cared for her and her family by raising money for Day One, and to buy books and toys for Leeds Children’s Hospital for other injured and seriously ill children. 

To raise money, she will be selling lemonade and buns from her homemade lemonade stand, built by her granddad, on Friday September 1, from 3PM to 5.30PM, outside her Nanny’s house in Wakefield. 

Mum Katie has also set up a GoFundMe page, which has already raised £850. 

Leeds is the second busiest Major Trauma Centre (MTC) in England, having treated more than 16,000 seriously injured patients since opening in 2013. 

The centre provides trauma support for adults and children in the surrounding region covering more than four million people.

Every year around 25,000 people are admitted to a UK Major Trauma Centre with life-changing injuries - which averages 68 people every day. 

Lily-Mae said: “I feel good and better now. I felt upset when I was in hospital as it was scary. 

“When I couldn’t see, my dad read me books on the hospital ward which made me happy.  

“That’s why I want to do something to help other children and Day One that's there for my mum and dad.” 

Mum Katie West, 32, and a special needs teaching assistant at Kingsland Primary School in Stanley,  Wakefield, said: “It happened so fast and was a freak accident. 

“When she was in hospital I was terrified. It didn’t seem real. It felt like I was watching what was happening from a distance. 

“I remember when they put her to sleep, she’d occasionally wake up, frightened and scared, and would grab the  tubes. 

“She had tears running down her face. It was awful. As a parent you never imagine anything like this happening.”

Katie and her family were recommended Day One by another family on the ward, and were able to meet with Marianne from the charity who helped with questions and support while Lily-Mae recovered.

Marianne Wadsworth, Leeds Caseworker for Day One Trauma Support, said: “It’s amazing to see the recovery Lily-Mae has made thanks to the fantastic care from the trauma teams in Leeds. 

“We’re glad we were able to support her and her family, so they weren’t on their own during this incredibly difficult time. 

“We believe nobody should be left  to rebuild their life on their own following a catastrophic injury, and thanks to Lily-Mae’s fundraising efforts we can be there for even more people – from day one and for as long as they need us.” 

Lizzie Would, Children's Rehabilitation and Trauma Coordinator at Leeds Children’s Hospital, said: “We’re all so proud of Lily-Mae after everything she has been through. 

“We’re so grateful that she has thought of us and wants to  provide books and toys for other children to enjoy when they go through a similar tough time.”