Crash childrens' amazing recovery

Rob Latham

07 May 2008

TWO children who survived the fatal car crash on the A429 near Stow-on-the-Wold in March have made an amazing recovery from their injuries.
Sophie and Adam Stone, nine and 11, from Stow, are the only two survivors of the crash which killed seven people including their auntie and grandparents, but have been released from hospital despite being told they would not be out before the end of the year.
Adam spent four weeks at Frenchay Hospital where his forehead, nose, cheeks and eye sockets had to be rebuilt and a metal plate inserted in his head while Sophie spent six weeks in Bristol Royal Infirmary being treated for internal injuries.
Their mum Tina, 38, said she was pleased to have her children back home but it would be a while before they fully recovered.
Mrs Stone said: "It could be several years before Sophie is 100 percent. Adam is facially scarred, which will always be there. But otherwise we are as normal as a family as we could be at this stage."
"We were expecting it to be October or November or even Christmas before we got them home. To have Adam home after only 4 weeks and Sophie after six weeks is amazing."
Mrs Stone said the days after the crash had been a nightmare as she tried to come to terms with losing her parents and her sister, seeing her two children fighting for their lives in hospital and the thought of breaking the tragic news to her children.
"Sophie was so close to my mum that the thought of telling her that mum was not here any more was not a nice one, I must admit I chickened out of doing it and got the specialist did it for me in hospital," she said.
"I knew she would kick out and be angry and everything. I did tell Adam myself because I knew he would just cry and I could deal with that."
Since the children returned home they have found it difficult to get back to life as normal but Mrs Stone said she has talked openly about the crash to help them recover.
"Adam doesn't remember anything about the accident itself, Sophie does and she can be a bit nervous when we go out in the car," she said.
"If someone pulls out in front of us she inhales sharply and says things like 'my legs have gone funny - can you slow down.' It is going to be a long long time before they are fully better."

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