Keen Swimmer Had To Undergo Surgery Abroad

An aspiring teacher and keen swimmer from Dunstable who sustained severe injuries as a result of an accident at a water park has spoken out about her “nightmare” holiday.

Jennifer Proctor was enjoying a day out at Aqualand on the Spanish island of Mallorca with her partner, Jodie Morgan, in September 2018 when she was involved in an accident on the “Banzai” water slide, which resulted in her sustaining severe spinal fractures.

Jennifer, aged 24 at the time, underwent several surgical procedures while she was abroad, including fusion of two spinal vertebrae and the insertion of metal rods and pins in her spine. 

In addition, she suffered from a recurring sepsis infection for several months afterwards. Jennifer has also, unfortunately, suffered a 4-inch reduction in her height as a result of the fractures to her spine.

Following the accident, she instructed specialist international injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate what happened to her.

Virginia Zarin, a trainee lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Jennifer, said: “At this time of year, a lot of people are heading abroad for their Summer holiday.  Unfortunately, in some cases the holiday doesn’t turn out as expected, and in Jennifer’s case it was totally ruined.

“Jennifer loves swimming and was absolutely devastated to learn she had sustained severe fractures to her spine.  Her life has been completely turned upside down, and we hope that by discovering what happened we can at least get some answers that Jennifer needs to move forward.”

Jennifer is still affected by her injuries and has been unable to return to her job as a retail manager at Road Chef.  While the sepsis infection has now cleared up, she is still receiving treatment on her spine and is waiting to hear whether or not she will need further surgery.

Jennifer, now 25, said: “The past 10 months have been awful.  I thought I would have the time of my life on holiday, but instead it quickly became a nightmare.

“Having to undergo surgery abroad, away from family and friends, was extremely difficult, and I feel that my life has been turned upside down by my injuries.

“I can’t go back to the job I had before the accident and it is still uncertain whether I will need more surgery.  I just hope that I can get the answers I am looking for as to what happened.”

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