A four-year-old girl has spent the last year fighting for her life after she was kicked in the head by a horse while walking with her father.
Madison Roome was two years old when she was injured while walking with her father, Alistair, 46, brother Finnley, then four, and a few of their friends at the end of the family’s road in Claygate, Surrey, last May.
Mr Roome wasn’t watching his daughter when the horse hit her in the face with its hoof as it was led down a bridleway because his son Finnley had fallen over and scraped his knee.
The father said his friend had to shout over to him ‘Madi’s been kicked’ and he felt ‘utter panic’ as he saw blood pouring from her eyes and mouth.
‘I saw her face, the blood pouring from her eyes, her mouth and huge cut on her head lying there unconscious; it was just awful.’
Madison Roome (pictured after the accident) was two years old when she was injured while walking with her father, Alistair, 46, brother Finnley, then four, and a few of their friends at the end of the family’s road in Claygate, Surrey, last May
Mr Roome wasn’t watching his daughter when the horse hit her in the face with its hoof as it was led down a bridleway because his son Finnley had fallen over and scraped his knee. Pictured, Madison visited the air ambulance team that helped save her life
Madison was unconscious and her father couldn’t find a pulse as he spoke to a 999 operator.
The little girl’s mother Jennifer, 36, was working from home when Mr Roome called to tell her what had happened.
She said: ‘I remember frantically running through the house grabbing everything I might need. Within five minutes I was by Madi’s side.’
Jennifer, who works in HR, said she ‘had to remain calm’ despite her daughter’s extreme facial injuries.
She said: ‘I cradled her in my arms, while we waited for help to arrive, she was wearing an Anna dress from the movie Frozen. That image will never leave me.
The father said his friend had to shout over to him ‘Madi’s been kicked’ and he felt ‘utter panic’ as he saw blood pouring from her eyes and mouth. Pictured, Mr Roome with his daughter
Madison (pictured) was taken to St George’s hospital in Tooting, south London where she has since had multiple operations to restore her face
The little girl’s mother Jennifer (pictured, the family together), 36, was working from home when Mr Roome called to tell her what had happened
‘She gained consciousness quickly, but the teams were concerned because she had such extensive injuries.’
Paramedics from the Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex crew arrived within minutes and bundled Madison into a helicopter.
She was taken to St George’s hospital in Tooting, south London where she has since had multiple operations to restore her face.
Mr Roome, a web developer, said: ‘When we got into the helicopter and the rotary blades began, Madi began to scream, we thought it must be because of the vibrations hurting her face.
‘The crew were amazing and once we had got her settled, she spent the rest of the flight looking out of the window.
‘The flight was so quick, but I was willing it to get there. We circled Saint Georges hospital three times and then landed.’
Paramedics from the Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex crew arrived within minutes and bundled Madison into a helicopter. Pictured, Madison with her brother Finnley
Madison underwent emergency surgery on the day of her accident to stitch up a deep cut above her right eye and fix her palate, which had split along the midline and separated from her skull.
Doctors stitched and secured an Invisalign brace in her mouth to help keep her bite and the lining of her teeth in place.
Madi then underwent a second surgery eight days after being air-lifted to hospital, which pinched together the tendons between her eyes and nose.
She then went on to have a third surgery just five weeks ago to remove bolsters and wires and also to remove the Invisalign brace.
Doctors also performed further surgery on her right eye after the freak accident,
The family (pictured) said they were ‘honoured’ to meet the crew that cared for Madison at their airbase in Redhill
Maxillofacial surgeons at St George’s plan to publish details of Madi’s procedure in a medical journal because it was such a groundbreaking case.
Mr Roome said: ‘Madi still has a long road ahead and is likely to have many surgeries until her face is fully grown. But she’s still a really happy, resilient four-year-old and we’re so proud of her.
‘It’s now been over a year since that horrific day, and I’m so pleased to say Madi is recovering really well.
‘Her eye remains our main concern and Madi has had to get glasses recently.
‘I don’t think Madi will remember much about the accident in the long-term, although she did very innocently ask if the Air Ambulance helicopter would be taking her home too.’
The family said they were ‘honoured’ to meet the crew that cared for Madison at their airbase in Redhill.
Jennifer said: ‘It was so emotional to be reunited with them. Myself and her dad were overcome with emotion, Madi bless her was just excited to see the helicopters.
‘We got to meet the pilot and paramedic that were on the scene.’
The family are now fundraising for the incredible Air Ambulance crews, and want to raise awareness for Air Ambulance week, which starts on Monday, September 6.