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A severe scooter accident in India has left a young student battling a serious brain injury, plunging her into a coma and robbing her temporarily of memories, including her own name. Olivia North, 21, had been concluding a remarkable journey around India when the crash occurred on 5 May. Her family, anxiously awaiting her return to the UK, grew alarmed after losing contact with her for two days. Olivia’s father, Nic North, made urgent calls to various hostels she had stayed at before discovering she was in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Goa.
Initially, Olivia was unable to recognize some family members and could not recall her own identity. Despite these challenges, a month after the accident, she is now preparing to fly back to Wales to continue her recovery. Nic described the ordeal as “every dad’s nightmare,” recounting the distress of not being able to reach her and the relief upon finally seeing her alive. Olivia currently struggles with profound fatigue, able to walk only short distances before needing to rest, but doctors have approved her travel home later this week.
Olivia’s adventure began after finishing her second year studying Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London. She took a break from her studies, saving money by working in bars and restaurants, before embarking on a trip through India. Her travels took her to numerous places, including Rishikesh, the temple towns of Pushkar and Hampi, and Mumbai, culminating in a planned period of relaxation on the beaches of Goa. On the night before her scheduled departure home, Olivia was involved in the scooter crash. According to Nic, she was returning to her accommodation when she hit her head, knocking herself unconscious. Sadly, she was not wearing a helmet, something Nic emphasized as “absolutely idiotic,” urging other young travelers to use helmets as a non-negotiable safety measure.
Following the accident, her family experienced great uncertainty while trying to find her. The hostel owner in Arambol was the first to confirm Olivia had been admitted to a hospital in South Goa. Nic recalls talking to hospital staff, who informed him that Olivia had been in a coma and suffered a 3.6mm brain bleed. Fortunately, medication reduced the bleed, avoiding the need for surgery. When Nic and Olivia’s sister Beatrice arrived in India, they found Olivia was beginning to regain consciousness though confused, not knowing her own name but recognizing family members. Extensive bruising and MRI scans revealed injuries to critical brain regions responsible for memory and balance, further complicating Olivia
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