Murrumbidgee girl Nellie Griffiths, 10, fighting for life after horse riding accident

A young girl from the state’s Riverina region is fighting for life in a coma with catastrophic injuries – including a fractured skull and spine – after she was thrown from a horse.

Nellie Griffiths was rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital with extensive injuries where she remains in a coma. Picture: Supplied / GoFundMe.

A young girl from the state’s Riverina region is fighting for life in a coma with catastrophic injuries – including a fractured skull and spine – after she was thrown from a horse.

Murrumbidgee girl Nellie Griffiths, 10, was riding her horse on Sunday when it unexpectedly spooked and bolted, throwing Nellie to the ground.

Despite wearing a helmet, she was rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition with a fractured skull and spine, four broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Nellie is currently in the Intensive Care Unit in an induced coma and requires a drainage tube from her brain.

Shattered friends and family said the accident occurred “on what was meant to be a peaceful Sunday doing what she loved most”.

Nellie Griffiths, 10. Picture: Supplied / GoFundMe.

According to family friend Kayla Sipou, “the full extent of Nellie’s injuries remains unknown”.

“Only once she is brought out of the coma will doctors — and her loved ones — begin to understand the true impact of the trauma she has endured,” Ms Sipou wrote on a GoFundMe fundraiser.

“The hospital caring for Nellie is more than seven hours from her home, yet her devoted family remains by her side, navigating this unimaginable situation with strength and love. “Nellie’s mother had only recently commenced a full-time role and, with no leave entitlements accrued, is now unable to work during this time of crisis.

“The road ahead will be long and uncertain — marked by ongoing medical care, specialist therapies, travel and accommodation expenses, and time away from work. As their community, we now have the opportunity to surround Nellie’s family with practical and emotional support.

“This fundraiser has been established to help relieve the financial pressures they are facing so they can focus entirely on what matters most: Nellie’s recovery.”

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