Ben's Back .... Skiing

Posted by Rosie

Just over a year ago I received a phone call from Simon who was skiing in the Alps with Tom and Ben.  It is the sort of phone call no parent ever wants to receive.

"I am in Courcheval Medical Centre and errrmmm - Ben may have broken his back."

That was the point that the bottom dropped out of my world.  In the microseconds after he said that I was already planning who could care for the animals, whether I would be better driving, flying or taking the train to the hospital and would it be possible to convert our 200 year old farmhouse into a wheelchair friendly abode.  Because that is what your brain does when you hear that sort of a sentence.

"However," he carried on "it shouldn't be as bad as it sounds.  If it is broken it is only a hairline fracture and he'll be fine."

Brain - you can stand down for a while.

It turns out that he had indeed fractured 2 vertebrae in his middle back.  He had gone on to the side of the piste but where he had skied the day before quite safely but a mild spell overnight had melted the snow leaving a large hole that he skied into.  No-one knows exactly what happened but we suspect he went in head first and his legs went over his head putting too much strain on his spine. A freak accident that was no-one's fault.  And according to a friend who is a specialist in children's spines, it is VERY rare for them to fracture.

He returned home safely 2 days later, albeit sore and for the next 6 weeks was only allowed to sit for very short periods.  The rest of the time he had to stand or lie down.  Exercise of any sort was kept to a minimum.  Only after the 6 weeks and when he was given the all clear after a scan was he allowed to restart gentle activity.   He still wasn't allowed to join in with the roller-skating that the school had as their main PE activity in the summer term and trampolining was off  the agenda until the summer holidays.

Simon, Tom and Ben heading to the slopes - March 2014

Now I am glad to say he is none the worse for the injury.  And where is he as I type?  He's back in the Alps with Simon and Tom on their annual skiing holiday.  Should we have stopped him going in case he fell again and sustained another injury?  No, of course not. He wanted to go (although he did admit to being a bit nervous) and they are having a great time.  He will have learnt to read the slopes and weather conditions better and he may well be a better skier because of it.  As for me - I am also slightly nervous but I know I cannot stop him doing something that he (and Tom and Simon) absolutely adore.

If you want to see what other kids have been up to this week (hopefully no more injuries), click on the Let Kids be Kids Link below.