Mia, 18, tells of six-year recovery from horrific quad bike accident after taking part in traumatic brain injury study at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge

18-year-old Mia Jack has spoken about her six years in recovery from a horrific accident after taking part in a new study designed to improve outcomes for children with traumatic brain injuries.

Mia Jack was 12 years old when she was thrown over the handlebars of a quadbike during a family activity day.

She was glancing back towards others when she lost control and hit a tree, head-first.

She was put in an induced coma at the scene before being airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where part of her skull was removed to relieve pressure on her brain in an operation called a craniectomy.

Mia immediately needed more surgery to remove a blood clot.

Her family faced an agonising wait but Mia - a music lover who lives with sister Isabella Jack,19, mum Angela Paine and her partner Stuart Jack - woke up when she heard a ukulele being played on the ward.

Mia didn’t recognise her mum and could not walk or talk.

But slowly, over weeks, thanks to her determination and help of specialists, she progressed and, after a brief rest at home, went to The Children’s Trust, a charity in Surrey that offered a two-month rehabilitation programme involving physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy.

As she worked on her recovery, Mia explored her creative side, enjoying playing the piano in the common room, delighting other children and staff.

She and other young singers even helped West End legend and charity ambassador Elaine Paige to record a version of ‘Sing a Rainbow’.

Mia, from Soham, went back to Addenbrooke’s to have a titanium plate fitted over the hole in her skull. David Guetta’s hit ‘Titanium’ became a “personal anthem” for her - and she learned to play it on the piano.

Mia was given support, including counselling, over three months at Cambridge Centre for Paediatric Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, which helped her overcome the inevitable low moments.

She was able to return to school and successfully moved on to Cambridge Regional College, where she is in her second year of a hairdressing course.

Mia still struggles to find the odd word and gets easily tired.

But she enjoys singing, playing the piano, dancing, gymnastics and acting. She aims to undertake a performing arts course next year and also has a talent for poetry.

Mia’s mum, Angela, who works in catering but is also studying hairdressing, said: “To me Mia’s recovery has been nothing less than a miracle. She is so courageous, so talented, and I am very proud of all she achieves.”

Mia added: “When I woke after the accident I was completely confused and didn’t know who mum was, what had happened, and I didn’t understand what was going on.

“I was wearing a helmet at the time, but apparently my brain was like a jelly in a box that had been really badly shaken, and I was going to be in hospital for some time.

“To say it was all a bit of a struggle would be an understatement, but I am a fighter and hope someone else can take inspiration from that.”

Mia is one of 135 young people involved in a new study led by Addenbrooke’s doctor Dr Shruti Agrawal that is designed to improve outcomes for children with traumatic brain injuries.

Conducted across 10 UK Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) over five years, the STARSHIP study has explored factors associated with positive and negative outcomes and the data published in the journal eClinicalMedicine last week could help improve treatments.

Mia said: “Anything that helps with traumatic brain injury in children – and raises awareness of it at the same time – has got to be a good thing.”

The improved data resource will be available to third-party investigators, aiding collaboration and further research.

Dr Agrawal, a paediatric intensivist and paediatric trauma lead at Cambridge University Hospitals, said: “Understanding the underpinning principles and management of raised intracranial pressure and brain perfusion is essential for reducing the morbidity and mortality of traumatic brain injuries.”